My Dark Prince
by Pokeluv101
Summary: Erika's mission was to kill the Demon King. When she meets Kyouya, the Dark Prince, she doesn't know if she should trust him. Kyouya had only seen the sun once but wanted a way to bring back the sun to his people. With her help, he would be able to open the gate between their worlds. But could he keep his heart close to her? {Kyouya and Erika}
1. The Demon Realm

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters**

* * *

Kyouya studied the white feather he found on the ground. It glowed in the darkness, a sign that it held white magic only an angel would process. Why was an angel in the Demon Realm? His father had closed the gates between their worlds centuries ago. Only a powerful angel could pass the gate without detection. Once he returned to the castle, he would have to pen a letter to his father.

With that thought in mind, he urged his horse into a full gallop. Kyouya was concentrating on the feather and didn't notice a boy run into his horse path before it was too late for him to react. He tried to pull on his horse's rein but it was clear that he wouldn't be able to stop his horse in time. With his dark magic, he tried to stop the horse's movement to keep it from trampling the boy.

A white curtain suddenly blocked his vision and he quickly backed his horse away from the blinding light it omitted. He realized that curtain was made of feathers and was now covering the boy. The curtain moved to reveal a tiny woman who held the boy in a caring hold. Despite the boy's tears, it appeared that he wasn't hurt.

The curtain spread gently around the woman and he realized that they were wings. Her wings and its light faded quickly so they once again pitched into darkness save for the soft moonlight around them. She didn't seem to notice his presence as she consoled the boy. A kindness no demon would dare show was reflected in her actions. "You do not need to cry anymore. You're safe now."

An angel.

"That's enough," Kyouya purposely raised his voice to gain their attention. Dismounting, he walked towards the pair and the angel held the boy protectively. Kyouya knew that the boy was likely to be scared so he tried to keep his voice kind. "You know that a boy should not be playing in the road at this hour. If you return to your mother now, I shall not tell the king about this little adventure."

"Thank you, your majesty!" The boy left the angel's arms and bowed low to him. Kyouya only nodded to him since he was accustomed to the gesture. He hated his royal blood but there was nothing he could do. Despite being the dark prince, he tried to be aware of his subjects' needs. While he couldn't care less about who took his father's throne, having the citizen's trust would give him less things to worry about.

Kyouya patted the boy's head and ushered him away. When he saw the boy disappear into the distance, he turned back to the angel who was trying to subtly flee. "And where are you going, my lady?"

Erika froze when she heard him address her. What luck she had to meet the man she was assigned to murder in such a way? It was only the first day of her first mission and everything was unravelling already. It was impossible for him not to notice her wings when she used them to protect the boy. But her body naturally reacted when she saw someone in trouble.

To her surprise, he knelt in front of her and bowed his head. His movements were fluid and graceful but he was surprisingly young to be the king she was assigned to assassinate. "Thank you for protecting my subject when I couldn't."

"Please stand, your highness!" Erika said quickly. From what the other angels had told her, she wouldn't expect the Dark King to bow before her. He was showing her respect and he showed affection to a child. In fact, he looked like an angelic prince. His blond hair was almost the shade of gold and the only feature that hinted at his demonic heritage was his crimson eyes.

Kyouya watched her carefully as she fumbled over her words. It was clear that she was naïve since she wasn't aware of the situation she was in. The tales around him should've warned her to run from the Dark Prince but she kept staring at her feet. He was on his knees before her yet she didn't try to take his head like other angels before her.

 _The little fool_ , Kyouya thought to himself as he stood. She was a small woman such that her head barely reached his shoulder. Her hair was brown rather than the golden hue angels usually had. But there was no mistaking the innocence in her bright eyes. Some like her could easily be manipulated and her powers would help him obtain his one wish.

"The boy owes you his life but I will work to repay that debt." Kyouya said in a kind voice while trying to keep himself from laughing. He couldn't remember the last time he had to use his prince persona and it was pathetic to him. Nevertheless, she seemed to be taken by it as she blushed and shook her head. "Allow me to guide you back to the gate before you are found."

"… But why would the Dark King try to help an angel like me?" Erika asked. His behaviour was strange to her and she couldn't stop herself from asking. Should she trust the devil before her? He acted kind but it could only be a trick. Her mission was to kill him and free demons from his reign. But he treated the boy with care.

"I am not the Dark King," Kyouya couldn't help the bitter tone from his voice. Thinking of his father and the fact that his blood ran through his veins angered him. He was trapped in a life he didn't want because of him and the only thing that could free him and his people was the magic of an angel. "The Dark King is my father. I am the Dark Prince, Kyouya."

"Kyouya," Erika repeated. She felt much more comfortable with him but he could see the crease formed between his eyes. He offered her his hand again but she knew she couldn't take it. Her task was to kill his father and he wouldn't look at her again if he knew the truth. It would also be suspicious if she refused to return to the Angel Realm.

"I can't go back." Erika thought of a lie. "I was trying to escape this man and I slipped through a hole in the gates. I'm afraid to go back. I know that if I do, he'll hurt me. I don't have anywhere to go."

Kyouya knew she was lying and wondered what the truth was. The best way to discover her intent was to keep her close. "I have a cottage home away from the castle, you should be safe there. I don't how long I can keep an angel hidden but I can't leave you here to fend for yourself."

"Thank you," Erika took the hand a demon held out to her. "My name's Erika."

* * *

Erika looked out the window of the little cottage Kyouya brought her to. It was simple and she could see the castle in the distant. It would be easy for her to sneak to the castle while Kyouya was away and find the kind so she could complete her mission. But was it right for her to kill the Demon King? Her own king told her that she must if she wants her family to continue living in heaven.

When she was brought to the castle, she didn't understand why he was chosen for the mission. She was only an angel in training and most of her spells were focused on healing and protection. How could she kill the Demon King who sounded so powerful in the stories the angels told?

Stealing a glance at Kyouya, she wondered what he thought of his father. A cruel man couldn't have raised a child to be so kind. He was making a fire in the fireplace to keep her warm. She quickly looked away when he turned to her. He pulled out a blanket from a chest and held it out to her. "It gets cold during the nights but this should keep you warm."

"But isn't it night already?" Erika looked out the window and saw that the moon was still in the sky. She looked so confused and lost that he wondered how much training she had. Most of the angels sent to kill him were much more experienced and knowledgeable.

"We don't have nights in the Demon Realm. When my the war between angels and demons started to spill into the human world, my father closed the gates. With those gates closed, they shut out the sun from the Demon Realm and the moon from the Angel Realm." Kyouya heard the clock tower and stood. "I need to get back to the castle."

Erika nodded but then heard a wolf howl. Without thinking, she grabbed Kyouya's arm. She knew that dangerous creatures came out during the night and that made her more afraid to be in the Demon Realm. Her magic wasn't powerful so she couldn't defend herself against them. She knew that she let go of Kyouya but she couldn't bring herself to do so.

Sighing, Kyouya watched the fear pass her face. Not knowing why he was bothering to comfort her, he sat next to her and pulled her into an embrace. He stroked her hair and was surprised that it felt so soft. He was going to use her so why was he trying to comfort her? But something in his heart moved when she asked, "Can you stay with me tonight?"

"Sure," Kyouya took a chair and sat next to her bed. She smiled and lay on the bed but didn't let go of his hand. Usually physical contact would make him uncomfortable but he couldn't bring himself to pull away even after she fell asleep. He took his hand back but stayed seated next to her and watched her sleep.

"Kyouya?" Her voice shocked him since he thought she fell asleep. Her smile was kind when she told him. "Thank you for giving me a place to stay. I know that you might get into a lot of trouble if your father finds out. I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you before I return to the Angel Realm."

* * *

"So what are you going to do with the little angel in there?" Kyouya's childhood friend asked as they hunted for food in the moonlight. He knew Takeru for years and was glad that he didn't treat him differently despite how different their stations were. Even if they were different, Kyouya trusted Takeru and told him about Erika.

"I'm going to break down that stupid gate and bring back the sun," Kyouya told him as he readied his arrow. Without a thought to the innocent animal, he shot it down. Hunting in the dark was difficult but he adjusted to the darkness. It was the only thing he could do since the Demon Realm was an eternal night. The Angel Realm held an abundance of light so he doubted they would care if he stole some.

"Will you be able to do it? Hurt that angel to bring light into this world, I mean. It'll be nice to see the sun again but I don't want to hurt anyone to get it back. I never met her before but she sounds like a nice girl." Takeru mused. A demon's heart was cold by nature and they both knew a soft heart didn't last long in the Demon Realm. "I'm surprise you're holding out on using the spell."

"She came here for a reason and I'm going to find out what the angels has plan. I'm not going to break down the gates if it means that they'll attack my people." Kyouya knew he had to think over his actions carefully. His father had closed the gates when it became clear that demons and angels weren't meant to be together. He was proof of that fact.

"I know you don't want to be king but I think that you'll make a fine one. You really care about us." Takeru smiled as he continued to sharpen his knife. Kyouya scoffed at his words but Takeru knew that the blunt man actually cared deeply. His thoughts were only confirmed when Kyouya handed Takeru his own knife. "Maybe one day-"

They both stopped when they heard the sound of leaves rustling. From the sounds of the careful steps, it was obvious that it couldn't be an animal. Kyouya nodded to Takeru who took the knife Kyouya held out to him. Notching his arrow, Kyouya aimed at the bush. Trying to stay silent, they waited for the person to reveal themselves before attacking.

"Kyouya!" The person in the bush emerged and brightened when she saw him. Kyouya was surprised to see Erika but was glad that she didn't seem to hear what they were discussing. She continued to smile as she stopped in front of him and held out a basket to him. "I saw that you were out late so I made you lunch. You can't go hunting on an empty stomach."

"So you're the angel that Kyouya told me about." Takeru looked over Erika with curiosity. She looked like a human to him and he wouldn't have guess that she was an angel. Erika quickly hid behind Kyouya. She thought that he was hunting alone so didn't expect someone to be with him. "Hey, don't be scared. I'm a close friend- Kyouya's only friend actually! Name's Takeru."

Erika hesitated to shake his hand until Kyouya nodded to her. "You can trust him."

In the couple of days she spent with Kyouya, she began to trust him more. Erika was still unsure of what to do so she stayed in the cottage thinking of what to do. To be honest, she didn't want to kill someone even if it was a demon.

Takeru found it strange that he could sense a powerful magic in her since she appeared to be a novice angel. Other angels would've been able to sense his presence yet she couldn't. While he tried to concentrate on her magic, something caught his eyes. "That's a pretty necklace, Erika."

"This necklace was given to me by my lord." Erika touched the locket. The locket held great magic and without it she wouldn't be able to travel through the Demon Realm. Without it, the moon would steal her magic until she died. But she was careful to tell a demon about the sacred item and didn't know if she should tell the two about it.

"I made lunch. I know that it's nothing fancy but I hope you like it. I wanted to talk to you about something but if you want to spend time with your friend, I'll go back to the cottage. It was nice to meet you Takeru." Erika handed them the basket before she walked back to the cottage.

As Erika walked away she heard the pair laugh and she looked back to them. She was surprised when she saw Kyouya's smile. It was like the sun had shined on his face. He had never smiled like that before and she wondered what they were talking about. Even if she knew that it was wrong, she strained to hear their conversation. Takeru's voice reached her first. "Do you think that all angels are that nice?"

"If they were, they wouldn't have sent all those assassins to kill me." Kyouya said in a cold voice and Erika felt her heart stop. She knew that angels were often tasked to kill others but the thought that Kyouya was a victim never occurred to her. "Angels are just a bunch of lapdogs. Even if they know it's wrong, they'll follow whatever order given to them."

"There's the Kyouya I know. I think that princely smile is scarier than anything the Dark King can do. I almost feel sorry for Erika. If I didn't know you better, I would fall for that old act of yours too." Takeru stopped laughing and his expression became serious. "I don't sense anything special about her magic that you can use. I'm surprise they even sent an angel like that to kill you."

"If she was sent to kill me, she would've done it a long time ago. Angels can't be trusted so I'll just have to wait to see who makes the first move. Either she's here to gather information or she's here to kill my father. No matter what, the only use I have for her is to complete the spell to open the gates."

"If an angel's magic is all you need, take her necklace." Takeru said and Kyouya raised his brow. Despite what many people thought, Takeru was observant of his surroundings and people. "She's young and there's more magic in that necklace of hers than an average angel would have. Maybe you can sacrifice that necklace instead of her."

As Kyouya thought of a response, he saw an arrow head towards them. Reacting quickly, he tackled Takeru out of the arrow's path. He readied his own arrow and faced their attacker. He was slightly surprised when he saw Erika holding her staff but steeled himself when he saw that she was crying. Unlike a moment ago, it was clear that she heard their conversation.

"You demon!" She spat the word like it was a curse. Erika knew she shouldn't be surprise that a demon would trick her but she was. His eyes were cold and he kept his arrow pointed at her. Biting her lip, she wondered how his hands could be so steady when hers were shaking. "You lied to me. You wanted to use me from the start, didn't you?"

Kyouya didn't answer and his blank eyes made her lower her staff. Turning away from him, she ran into the forest. She told herself that he wasn't worth wasting her magic on but she knew the truth was she didn't want to hurt him. Pushing away branches, she ran deeper into the forest without purpose. She needed to leave before he hurt her.

In the darkness, she couldn't see clearly and fell until she rolled to a stop in front of a cave. Trying to regain her bearings again, she sat up and came face to face with a wolf. It snarled at her but she couldn't make a sound, fear keeping her tongue in place. There were several other wolves around her as well. She reached for her staff but found that she had dropped it during the fall.

Erika wasn't a trained fighter and she was useless without her magic. Taking a risk, she looked behind her and saw that her staff was only a short distant from her. She thought back to her family in heaven and found the courage to fight back. Following her instinct, she kicked the wolf directly in front of her. As it recoiled back, she ran for her staff.

The wolves jumped forward just as she grabbed her magic staff. She turned back to use a spell but was surprised to see that Kyouya ran into the wolves' path. One clawed at his shoulder but he didn't show any reaction as he used his dark powers to push the wolves back. "Find your food elsewhere."

"Kyouya?" Erika ran to his side when the wolves left. Her hand immediately went to the wound on his shoulder. He hissed for a moment but she didn't let him step away. Any anger she had didn't appear on her face as she laced her white magic into his wound to heal him. He should've known that her first instinct would be to heal him.

"Why did you save me?" Erika asked. Did he still intend to use her?

"If you die, it'll only give the Angel Realm a reason to attack us." Kyouya answered after a moment. He followed her but didn't know what he was going to say when he caught up to her. When he saw her fall into the wolf den, he rushed to save her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out her necklace. "You dropped this."

"My necklace," Erika hadn't realized it broke off during the fall. Even as she secured it around her neck again, she wondered if Kyouya knew how important it was. Takeru already told him that it held a lot of angelic magic, enough to achieve whatever he was planning. So why did he return it to her?

Taking a risk, she admitted. "You were right. They sent me to murder your father. My king told me that I need to travel to the Demon Realm to kill the Demon King. My family's rather poor so I applied to be an angel to give them a better life. I didn't think that angels would have to kill. But I need to complete this mission to become a full fledge angel. You didn't trust me so why did you help me?"

"At least you're honest about your mission. I'm really not surprised." Kyouya shrugged. His lack of reaction shocked her and she watched his face carefully. No matter how much she studied his eyes there was no emotion in them. Didn't he care about what happened to his father? As if he read her mind, he answered. "I really don't care. My old man is just that to me- an old man."

"But he's your family! Don't you love him?"

Kyouya started to laugh but there was no humour in his eyes or voice. "Demons don't have a heart so we don't feel things like love or sadness. People die because of the cold moon so often we don't let ourselves get attach to anything."

"That's sad," Erika spoke quietly. How could someone not know about love? Her mother had always told her that everyone should know what love felt like.

She fiddled with her necklace and Kyouya thought of something as he watched her. He didn't know why he hadn't used her to open the gates before now but he was glad he didn't. Kyouya would question his hesitation later and focus on bringing back the sun. "How about we make a deal? I'll protect you and your family if you help me open the gates again."

"What do you mean?"

"If I open the gates, our two worlds will be connected again. I can see the sun again and I can offer your family protection in return. I'll find position for your parents in the palace and the three of you can stay in the palace as well." Kyouya explained and she didn't know if she should believe him. But she didn't want to kill the king and if she failed, her family would be in danger.

He must've sensed her hesitation for he took her hands in his. "I won't hurt you. We'll travel to the gates and I'll use the magic in the locket rather than sacrifice you."

"Can you give me a day to answer?" Erika asked hesitantly and Kyouya knew that it was more than he should expect. He didn't want to kill anyone either and using her necklace would be a better option. Taking in her family would be a low price to pay compared to bring back the sun for his people.

* * *

 **This concept was much better in my head. I just couldn't get the pacing right. I was actually conflicted between going through this concept or to write another one. While I really like Kyouya and Erika and think this demon and angel concept fits them, I don't know how well the actually story will portray them.**

 **I also posted the second concept I wanted to write. I'm going to sit on this for a while before I decide on which one I'm going to finish.**


	2. Promise

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters**

* * *

"Have you made your decision yet?" It was the only greeting Kyouya would give Erika when he entered his old cottage. The question was the only conversation he bothered to have with her since he would leave the moment she shook her head. Only a few days had passed since he proposed that she help him destroy the gates in exchange for protection.

Kyouya sighed when she didn't say a word and placed a basket on that table, instructing her to eat. He needed her to agree to the plan before the angel's king started to question her absence. He also doubted he could keep her hidden from his father and his men for much longer. Deciding he needed to force her into action, he took a cloak and threw it over her head.

"We're going to the market," he told her and she wanted to snap back at his commanding tone but didn't know if she could. Kyouya knelt in front of her and Erika instinctively closed her eyes, thinking that he would strike her. Instead, he tied the cloak in place with gentle hands. She accidentally let herself look into his eyes and she was surprised that they were so sharp.

Those eyes were of a demon, unlike the kind eyes he showed her in the past. Erika repeated that fact in her mind, not wanting to fall for another lie. Kyouya took her hand and pulled her out of the cabin and she resisted slightly before she remembered that she shouldn't anger him. As much as she hated to, she had to follow him until she had the chance to run.

Kyouya felt her hand relaxed in his and he tightened his grip before she could change her mind. She had lived with the sun so he thought she couldn't understand what it was like for him and his people to live without it. The only hope he had was to play with her gullible heart and convince her that his people deserved to see the sun as well.

Looking up at the sky, Kyouya watched the moon turn a misty blue. The slight change in the moon was the only indication of the change between day and night. Whistling softly, he called his horse to them and it came to him quickly. He quickly mounted and held out his hand to her to help her onto the horse. "Get on. We're going to the market."

"But why?" Erika asked innocently and he sighed. As a prince, most would simply follow his orders without questioning her. He didn't know if he should admire her or think her the fool. Instead of answering her, he leaned down and pulled her onto his lap. She was light and she let out a small sound as he lifted her. She fell against his chest and quickly wrapped her arm around his neck.

Before she could push herself away from him, Kyouya urged his stead forward. Erika knew that she couldn't let go of Kyouya without falling from the horse so kept her arms around his neck. Riding a horse was different from running and she hid her face against his shoulder. "Please slow down, Kyouya. I won't let go so you don't need to ride so fast."

"Who's the one in control right now?" He scowled but Kyouya found himself slowing his horse to a slow trot. Her body relaxed and it surprised him that her small frame fit perfectly in his arms. Shaking the thought from his mind, he said. "Whatever. We're close to the village, anyways,"

Erika lifted her face from Kyouya's shoulder and saw that there was a small town in the distance. He was careful not to drop her as he lifted her again and dismounted. He placed her on her feet but he kept his hand on her shoulder. She breathed in sharply when his hand moved to her neck. "Stay still. I won't hurt you but I need to do this."

Erika didn't understand what he was doing when he touched her locket. She back from him quickly and placed her hand over the locket so he couldn't take it from her. While she wanted to trust him, she knew the consequences of losing the locket. He followed her steps until she was backed against his horse. His hand fell to his side before she could push him away.

"There," she looked down at her locket and saw that he tucked it beneath a lace choker. "That should hide the white magic of your locket. Going to the market would be useless to bring you show you the village if they discover you're an angel. You might be an angel but I'm going to protect you. Also, if anyone asks you who you are, tell them you're my Cerberus."

"You're what?" She felt her heart beat faster but it stopped when she heard his last statement. Erika thought she misheard him but his eyes didn't weaver as he repeated himself. She knew that Cerberus was a demonic dog but didn't know why he wanted her to claim she was a dog. "Why can't you just tell them that I'm a normal girl?"

"The dark prince can't fall in love and it would be strange for me to have a woman at my side." Kyouya told her. "Cerberuses has served my family for years and they've been known to also take human form. My subjects won't question why I have you by my side. The collar I gave you will convince them that you're a Cerberus."

"This is a collar?" Erika tried to pull off the choker but found that she couldn't. Kyouya sighed as he watched her and he wondered if they could keep her identity a secret. Watching her, he could honestly say that he never met another woman like her. At least he could say that she was amusing. Erika leaned against his horse and sighed.

"Stop pouting, I'll take it off once we leave the village." Kyouya told her and ruffled her hair when she pouted at him. She knew that it was best to choose her battle when she was in the Demon Realm. When he saw the fight leave her, he took her hand and led her into the village. "Just try not to draw too much attention to yourself."

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to be your demon dog." Erika muttered to herself as she followed behind him. Once they entered the village, the children ran to him and she remembered how the boy looked up at to Kyouya when they first met. He greeted each one by name and she wondered if he truly cared about them or if he was only acting kind because of his act.

He walked down the street, greeting some of the merchants and she wondered what his intentions were. He brought her to the village but he never explained why he did so. Kyouya took her hand and pointed to a small group of children playing. "It's difficult for them to play when all we have is moonlight. I might not want to be a prince but I'm not going to ignore my people like my father is."

"It's admirable for you to want to bring the sun back for your people." Erika looked up to him and he wondered how she could so easily take his word. While he did want to bring the sun back for his people, there was also a selfish reason he wanted to open the gate. When a ball rolled towards them, Erika took it and handed it back to the child. "Here you go."

He watched her smiled kindly to the boy and Kyouya wondered how she could make that smile so easily. Was it because she grew up in the light? Could his people smile easily like that if he opened the gates? Could he? He almost laughed at the thought and took Erika's arm once the boy left. "I thought I told you not to draw attention to yourself."

"I was just helping a boy, there's nothing wrong with that." Erika told him. Kyouya didn't look down at her but could feel her eyes on him. It was clear to him that they were different people and their differences went deeper than light and darkness. She couldn't stop her kind nature while he was forced to suppress his knowing that it was pointless.

"You can help him by helping me open the gates. You can help these farmers by giving us back the sun. Many of the people forgot the days before the gate but I still remember. I can't forget no matter how much I try. You can't say these people don't deserve it any more than you angels." Kyouya whispered the words so the town folk wouldn't hear them.

Erika started to touch the necklace but was reminded that he was the dark prince when she touched the collar. He could easily betray her and she couldn't be sure that he was telling her the truth. She was born after the gates closed and didn't know the consequences of opening them again. Would the war between demons and angels continue if she helped open it?

"I've given more than enough time to answer me and I'm not going to wait longer. Give me your answer," Kyouya demanded. Erika slipped her hand from his and wished she could give him an answer. If she knew him better, if she could trust him, she would quickly agree but she didn't. Kyouya knew that she was still conflicted and hated that his goal depended on her.

Why couldn't he kill her? It was a simple task that he had done before but he didn't understand his own hesitation. Would he be hesitating if it had been another angel sent to kill him? He considered sending her back through the gate but she said that her king would hurt her family if she failed her mission. "Hopefully, my people will have a better chance convincing you than I do."

"What was it like before the gates closed?" Erika asked suddenly and he raised a brow at her. While they spoke briefly, he was careful not to speak about his past. She never asked him either and he thought that she would continue to do so. "I'm not asking about your people but _you_. It's admirable that you're doing this for your people but there should be something in it for you as well."

 _So she does understand me a little_ , Kyouya thought to himself. Before, her eyes would waver but now they were sharp as she waited for his answer. For the first time, he couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes and lie so he turned away from her. "It's none of your business. Don't think that you're any better than I since you did come here to kill me."

The verbal jab struck Erika's heart and she looked down at her feet in shame. It was true that she was sent to kill him but she had no intention of doing so. Even now, she was confused on why she was chosen to assassinate him. He clicked his tongue at her and began to walk away from her. "If you're not going to help me, I'll leave you to do whatever you want."

"Wait, Kyouya!" Erika ran after him but a black shadow quickly draped around him and made him disappear into the night. For a moment, Erika stood staring at the spot Kyouya disappeared before the weight of her situation settled on her. She was alone in the Demon Realm. Returning home wasn't an option and she knew she couldn't survive alone.

Fear made her stomach drop and she wondered how she could survive alone. She couldn't use her magic without other demons discovering that she was an angel. The only demons she knew were Kyouya and Takeru and she didn't know if she could ask either for help. Erika looked back to where Kyouya disappeared and whispered to herself. "What am I going to do now?"

As if a greater being heard her, an answer came to her in the form of a little apple. An apple rolled towards her and she picked it up before it could become bruised further. A boy ran towards her and she could tell from his clothes that he was poor. Before he said a word, she gave the boy the apple. "Here you go. You must be hungry."

"What kind of idiot are you? It was pointless for you to act all nice and giving it to me since that apple's mine. Don't think you can trick me into thinking you're nice." The boy snarled and his tone shocked Erika. He tilted a distrusting glare at her that was unlike the other children she met earlier. She continued to watch him as he went back to a stall and placed the apple back on its place.

"Are you watching this stand for your parents?" Erika approached him and asked when she saw that none of the adults were watching him. He threw her a glare so quickly she knew that it could strike her dead if that was his intent. "You're a really good boy if you're able to take care of this stand for them."

"My parents are dead. They died in the war." He yelled and Erika instantly felt guilty. As strong and angry as expression was, the grief spoke to Erika more. "I don't think a stupid adult like you would understand. I saw you with the prince and it pisses me off. He always comes here but he doesn't do anything for us. I bet he doesn't even care."

"He does care!" Erika found herself defending him. While she could name many faults in him, neglect of his people wasn't one of them. The boy's glare told her that he didn't agree. There was so much hate and distrust in his eyes and she was reminded of Kyouya. "How are you able to grow all these apples all by yourself? Don't you have someone to take care of you?"

"I didn't steal these if that's what you're saying. I'm not a thief like you were trying to steal my apple. I have a garden and I sell things I've grown by myself. I don't need help from adults." Erika knelt down so she could look into the boy's eyes more clearly. She hated the thought of the boy having to face the world alone so smiled to him.

"You're very mature. I don't have any money to give you but I want to help you with this garden. Maybe we can help each other." Erika offered and the boy gave her a conflicted look. Erika held out her hand to him and he took it after a moment.

Kyouya watched their exchange from a distance and knew that the boy must've been confused by her actions. It wasn't often that a demon would offer to help another and it was even less often that a demon would accept that offer. When he sensed someone behind him, he turned his head slightly to see Takeru watching him. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to check up on you and make sure you haven't done anything to anger Erika. You're my best friend but we both know that you're not the best with people." Takeru laughed and Kyouya clicked his tongue. "So what are you going to do now? I saw you two argue. Are you really going to leave her here alone? Not even you would turn your back on someone."

"I don't care what she does now. If she tries to kill my father, I'll deal with her but we have nothing to do with each other from this point on. She was just wasting my time like every other woman in my life." Kyouya turned away and ignored Takeru.

* * *

"Is this enough water?" Erika asked the boy, who she discovered was named Lime. She also found that gardening in the Demon Realm was much different than in the Angel Realm. The garden was rather small but it was in a better condition than the hut the boy called his home. Erika wished that she could give the boy more but she didn't have the money to.

"You're going to kill the plants if you give it too much water!" The boy took the bucket from her and she apologized quickly. Lime muttered something beneath his breath and she had to laugh that his name reflected his attitude. "Why did I even agree to let you help me when you only give me more trouble? You adults think you know everything and look down on me."

"Offering help isn't the same as looking down on someone," Erika told him. The boy turned away from her just as a large golden dog entered the garden. At first, Erika was worried that it would dig up the vegetables in the garden but the boy didn't seem to be afraid of it. It stopped in front of them and placed a small bag on the ground before running back into the village. "Was that your dog?"

"I don't know who that mutt belongs to." The boy answered as he took the bag. Looking inside, Erika saw that it was filled with seeds and food. "It'll come visit me every once in a while and give me things. Dogs are really strange, aren't they? That one just comes and goes and you won't leave me alone. Shouldn't you go back to that prince of yours?"

Erika was about to correct him but stopped him. It would be better for him to think that she was a Cerberus than for him to know the truth. When he mentioned Kyouya, she wondered if she would see him again. He did visit the village often and she wondered how he would act if they did meet again. Even with that, she was beginning to think that she could live happily in the Demon Realm.

"What is that prince like?" The boy asked and Erika was surprised by his question since he often spoke about Kyouya with disdain. "He comes to village often but the king never visits unless it's for taxes. Everyone thinks that he's nice because of that but I can tell that it's all an act. When he thinks we're not looking, he frowns. You're his Cerberus so you should know what he's really like."

Erika considered how she should answer Lime's question. She didn't know enough to answer him but she wanted to try for his sake. "Kyouya is as his title suggests- a dark prince. He's able to pretend to be someone else easily just so he could use them. But he only does what is best for his people because he truly cares for them. He always talks about bringing back the sun for his people."

"As if even he could do that," Lime rolled his eyes. Then he looked up at the moon. "I've never seen the sun before but I've heard that it's warm. Gardening would be easier with it, I'm sure."

Erika touched her necklace as she watched Lime continue to garden. The Angel Realm was an eternal day so she couldn't understand what it was like growing up without it. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was watching her before she whispered to the boy. "What if I told you that I can show the sun? It'll just be a small though."

"No one in the Demon Realm has the ability to make a sun." The boy told her and she grinned at the challenge. She wasn't a fighter but she had her own talents. Erika cupped her hands over the plants and gathered the light from around them. Focusing on the magic, she forced it into the shape of a sphere. Traces of her light magic fell onto the plants and they began to grow taller.

Erika watched the boy's eyes widened from the corner of her eyes. She felt something nudge her and looked down to see that the large dog had returned. Both the dog and the boy were watching the sun she created like it was something fascinating and foreign to them. Erika knew that she couldn't risk anyone else seeing the light so quickly closed her hand over the sun.

"You're not really a Cerberus, are you?" The boy asked quietly without looking up at her. Erika's back stiffened and she wondered if she had made a mistake. Erika let a quiet tension fall around them and waited for him to go on. "No demon can control light like you did. The best we can do is control fire. So what _are_ you?"

"I-" Erika tried to think of a lie quickly but found that she couldn't.

"We would like to know how you're able to create that light as well." Erika's heart sank when she heard the voice behind them. Stiffly, she turned to see a group of knights staring at her. The man at the center wore similar clothes to Kyouya and she wondered if he was the king. "I was traveling to the village to collect the taxes when I saw that light. Who are you?"

"I'm just a Cerberus!" Erika said quickly and stood in front of Lime so she could protect him if the men did attack her. The man in the center began to laugh and she discretely summoned her staff. Lime held onto her skirt and she placed a hand over his head to keep him calm. "What you saw was fire. We'll pay our taxes but please don't hurt the boy or his garden."

"Do you think you can lie to the Demon King? I recognize light magic when I see it." Erika's heart dropped. This was the man she was assigned to kill. His mere presence made her stiff with fear and she knew that she would lose if she tried to fight him. "What is an angel doing in the Demon Realm? I thought that your king finally learned that he can't kill me no matter how many angels he sends."

The Demon King pulled his sword from its scabbard and she raised her staff in defense. She knew that her priority was to protect Lime but she didn't know if she could defend them against four knights and the Demon King. Thinking over her options, Erika took Lime into her arms and ran. The trees restricted her flight and hoped that they could reach a clearing so she could fly away.

"Erika!" Lime called her name and she tried to reassure him the best she could. With her staff, she coated the ground behind her with ice in a fable attempt to slow them.

Lime called her name again and Erika realized that he was trying to warn her about the knight that was quickly approaching them. She tried to dodge his sword by running into the forest but her legs became tangled in the bush and she fell. Rolling away from the knight's sword, she landed against a tree roughly. She was barely able to sit up before she felt a sword rest against her shoulder in a silent warning.

"Kill the angel and the boy for harboring the wrench." The King ordered the knight and Erika brought up her staff to block the man's sword. She knew that it was pointless but she wanted to save the boy at least so begged.

"Please, don't hurt the boy! He didn't know I was an angel and-" Erika's words were interrupted by a dog's growl. The pressure of the knight's sword lifted from her staff when the golden dog knocked the knight off his horse. The knight couldn't fight back before the dog bit his shoulder. With the attack, the knight became shadow and dispersed into the night.

Before another knight could attack Erika, the dog placed itself between them. A shadow began to circle around the dog and Erika gasped when she saw the dog transform into Kyouya. He didn't look back to her, keeping his glare on his father instead. "Call off your knights. If any of them hurt her or the boy, I won't hesitate to kill them and then you."

The kind dismounted and stride towards Kyouya until they were glaring at each other. Kyouya didn't break his glare even when his father punched him. He only staggered back a moment. They didn't say a word for a moment before the king asked. "What are they to you?"

"The boy is my subject and," Kyouya looked back to Erika. What he said next shocked them both. "And I love the angel. I'll protect them both so call off your knight."

"You're so much like your mother that it makes me sick." The king laughed at Kyouya's answer. Their eyes were so cold towards each other that Erika couldn't believe that they were related. His father took his sword and ran it through another knight. She couldn't understand his heartless action and covered the boy's eyes so he wouldn't watch the blood being spilled.

"Now no one knows about you or your angel now. You can do whatever you want." The king left Kyouya with those words. Kyouya didn't bother to watch his father leave and turned away from his father.

"I'm not even your son anyways."

Kyouya knelt in front of Erika and reached out his hand to her. She thought he meant to give her a comforting gesture but he flicked her forehead instead. "See all the trouble you gave me? I just can't leave you alone. C'mon, we're going back. I'll carry the boy for you, I doubt he can walk with the shock he has today."

Kyouya took Lime before she could argue. To be honest, she was still in shock as well. She thought that Kyouya had abandoned her when she didn't answer him. She still didn't know why he came to save her. His interaction with his father played in her mind and she looked up at him. "You said you loved me."

"I lied. My father would've killed you otherwise." He said in an emotionless voice and she couldn't understand the disappointment she felt. They reached Lime's hut and Kyouya placed the boy down.

"And you," Kyouya started in a commanding tone. "I let you be independent and helped you secretly up until now but it's time you learn to accept my help. If you stay here, my father could come back and I won't always be able to save you. You're going to go to my friend, Takeru, and ask for a job. You can do whatever you want as long as you're under his protect. This is a command, not a request."

Kyouya handed the boy a piece of paper before taking Erika's hand and pulling her away. She looked back to the boy who was looking at the card intently. Even though he was rather crude, she knew that the only intent behind his words was to protect the boy. She looked up at Kyouya, even more confused about him. Without thinking, she tightened her hand around Kyouya.

He stopped so he could stare at her and his gaze made her nervous. She leaned her head against his back to avoid his gaze. "If opening the gates would benefit people like that boy, I'll help you. But I want you to promise not to lie to me or trick me anymore."

Erika moved her arms around him and held out her pinky to him. It was a childish gesture but it was something small that could ease her worry. She kept her face pressed to her back so he couldn't see her expression. Sighing, Kyouya found himself wrapping his pinky around hers. "I promise."

* * *

 **Even with finals over, I still have a lot on my plate XD I'm still trying to decide how to balance writing this and The Last Dragon. I also have three mep parts left to do. But then again I love creating all of these so it's a good kind of stress I'm under.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters**

* * *

Erika was careful not to draw attention to herself as she walked into the village again. She waited until the next morning to visit the village again since she worried that Kyouya's father would still be in the village. She didn't know what would happen if they met again. When she woke, Kyouya was already gone so she didn't have him to defend her.

Thinking of their meeting, Erika's steps slowed. The King killed his own knights without a hint of emotion and barely showed kindness to his own son. Kyouya told his father that they were in love to protect her and a part of her didn't want to know what he would do to her if Kyouya hadn't protected her. How can a father say such cold words to his own son?

She couldn't allow the people of the Demon Realm to continue under his dark rule. Even if Kyouya acted cold to her, Erika knew that he cared about his subjects. If she helped him open the gates, she would be able protect her family. Despite the war that led the gates closing, she reasoned that angels and demons could live together despite their differences.

Shaking any doubt that could make her change her mind, Erika continued down the road. Kyouya was already gone when she woke but she thought she would be able to navigate herself well enough. She wanted to visit the boy before she left. She remembered the path to his home and hoped that he hadn't left like Kyouya ordered him yet.

Just as she was about to turn the corner, Erika heard two voices from Lime's garden. Keeping herself hidden, Erika looked around the corner and saw Kyouya sitting next to Lime. She thought he had returned to his castle and wondered why he was speaking with the boy now. From the stubborn frown on their faces, Erika doubted that they were merely trading greetings.

"Takeru told me that you haven't visited him to find a job yet. I thought I told you to go to him for protection. My father will come back if he knows that you're not under protection and kill you for associating with an angel. I let you do what you want in the past and helped you be independent but I'm not going put up with your stubbornness anymore."

"Just because you have that royal blood running through your veins, it doesn't mean that you can tell me what to do. You know nothing about me so you don't know what's best for me!" The boy shot back but Kyouya didn't react to his words. Erika wanted to step forward to defend Kyouya but knew that she would only make the situation worse.

"Do you think you're the first child that said that to me?" Kyouya actually laughed bitterly after a moment. He touched one of the plants and it shivered under his dark powers. Throughout his life, he was reminded of who he was and knew that words, encouraging or hurtful, had no meaning. "If you're going to insult me, do better. I'm the Dark Prince so nothing anyone says can hurt me."

"They said your mother was a whore and left the king for another man." The child muttered and Kyouya raised his hand in reaction. Erika ran forward to stop him from striking the boy but stopped when he lowered his fist slowly.

"No one knows that story better than me so you don't need to repeat it." Kyouya knew that the boy was trying to anger him and force him to leave in anger. "She just took my sister and left with another man the first moment she could. You say I know nothing about you but I do know what it's like to be alone in this dark world. Right now you can't do anything to change this world like I can."

"Just because I'm not a prince?"

"Because you're weak. You can't defend yourself- you don't even have something to protect or fight for." The boy lowered his face at Kyouya's words. "But I was like that once too until I found something I wanted to fight for. You can continue to be weak or you can ask for help. Takeru is a good teacher and he'll train you so you'll be able to fight when you find something special too."

The boy took out the note Kyouya gave him the previous day and Erika's heart went out to the boy. He lost his parents at a young age and learned to be independent early in life. She wondered if anyone had offered to help him before Kyouya.

"I don't have any more time to spare on you so do whatever you want. Takeru's too kind to deny you help no matter how long you make him wait so go to him whenever you want." Kyouya stood and pulled his hood over his head. With Erika's agreement, he had no reason to postpone the journey to the gate. Even if he worried about the boy, he knew that he had to prioritize his people.

* * *

Kyouya walked back into the village to collect some staples he needed for the journey. The gate stood on the border of the Demon Realm but he couldn't use the carriage to travel since it would spark his father's suspicion. They would have travel by feet and the path was dangerous. He took that path once when he was young and remembered peering past the gates.

Ignoring the stares of the villagers, Kyouya paid for the supplies he bought. Sensing someone following, Kyouya looked over his shoulder to see Erika running towards him with a grin. He thought she was waiting for him in the cottage. She stopped in front of her and he waited for her to catch her breath. "Lime went to Takeru! I followed him after you left."

"So the kid's not stupid after all." Kyouya's lack of reaction made Erika tilt her head curiously. She thought he would be more excited that the boy followed his advice. Even after she waited for him to speak more on the issue, he only walked away. "Why did you leave the cottage? You should know that it's dangerous for you to leave the cottage."

"I just wanted to make sure that he was okay before we left. It's because of me that he was in danger," Erika told him and he realized that she had overheard his conversation with him. As if Erika could read his thoughts, she nodded. "I don't understand you sometimes."

"You should understand more than anyone that I'm the Dark Prince," Kyouya told her but she still looked conflicted at the title.

"I think that you were kind to that boy. That kindness wasn't an act like the one you put on for me or the villagers. He told me that a dog has been delivering him seeds for years now. That was you, wasn't it? You didn't have to and you didn't take credit for it."

"You're reading too much into my actions." Kyouya turned away from her and walked faster so he wouldn't be forced to look into her eyes. It was true that he helped the boy and others but Kyouya wouldn't say that he did much. "If you think that someone who simple gives a boy food is kind, then you don't understand the Demon Realm."

"You can say what you want but I believe that your actions were kind. You protected me as well," Erika thought back to the previous day. Kyouya grunted and stopped in front of her. Lightly, he flicked her forehead. While making her trust him would help him, he needed her to remember that she couldn't trust the demons of the Demon Realm. "Ow, what was that for?"

"You talk too much about pointless things. You're to act as my Cerberus so you can't speak so casually to me. We're going on a long journey so go get some supplies. This should keep you from bothering me for a while." Kyouya ordered and she was flabbergasted at the list he handed her. While he gave her money to pay for the items, she didn't know where to buy them.

"Wait," She tried to stop him but he already disappeared into the shadows. Huffing, Erika read over the list again. They were simple items but she wasn't familiar with the village yet. She looked at the sky, wondering if Kyouya already returned to the cottage. Erika knew that she couldn't stand and complain so went off to buy the items.

Entering a random shop, Erika browsed the items. It took some time but she was able to find most of the items Kyouya listed. She hoped that she could find the rest of items in the next shop.

A broach caught her eye since it had a simple sun motif unlike the other broaches covered in jewels. She didn't sense any magic in the jewellery but thought that it created with care and love. A part of her wanted to purchase it but another part of her knew that she couldn't since Kyouya gave her a limited amount of money.

"Are you interested in that broach?" The elderly shopkeeper approached her and Erika quickly placed it on the stand again. She couldn't be selfish with Kyouya's money so shook her head. "Not many young people take interest in that broach. I made it thinking of the sun that we had before the war. I was just a girl at the time, your age actually, when I last saw it."

"It is a beautiful broach but I don't have the money to buy it. I have to go buy supplies actually." Erika took out the list Kyouya gave her and hoped the friendly shopkeeper would help her find the right shop to buy them. While she liked the village, she didn't want to stay long and be forced to walk through the forest in the night. "Do you know where I can these?"

"There is a store down the street where you can find the rest of the items." The woman told her and Erika thanked her quickly. Erika glanced at the broach again before she started to leave. The elderly woman held out the broach to her. "Give this to your master. From that collar, I know that you're a Cerberus. This broach should be able to protect you and your master."

"Thank you but I can't take this!" Erika said quickly but the woman waved away her worry and pushed her out of the shop. Confused for a moment, Erika looked down at the broach. It was beautiful and the sun made her think of Kyouya. She couldn't sense magic within the broach but the woman said it would protect them. She began to walk down the street as she thought about what she should do with it.

"Did you get tricked into buying that?" She turned when she heard someone behind her. His brows were furrowed and she quickly placed the broach into her pocket. She knew that he already saw it when he sighed and snapped his fingers. The broach left her pocket and appeared in his hand. "This thing is worth less than the dirt beneath my feet. How much did you buy for it?"

"The woman was kind and gave it to me when she saw that I liked it. She said that it would protect me." Erika told him honestly and wondered what he would say. She understood that he would be angry that she spent him money but his brows were still furrowed despite how she told him that it was a gift. "I already brought many of the items you listed. I just need two more."

Kyouya sighed and took the bags from her hands. When he took back the coin he gave her, he realized that it was considerably lighter than it should. A part of him wondered how many of the previous shopkeepers cheated her out of his coin by setting a higher price. It was already done and Kyouya knew that she was too innocent to even be aware that she was being taken advantage of.

"Don't assume that every shopkeeper is nice," Kyouya handed the broach back to her. The disdain he showed towards the broach made her heart heavy and she couldn't explain the reaction. The shopkeeper told her to give it to him but she had no reason to be disappointed that he didn't like it. "You were taking a while so I came back. My horse's nearby so c'mon."

"Okay! Thank you for carrying the bags for me," Erika thanked him as she matched her steps to his. They bought the rest of the items before he exited the village and Kyouya tied the bags onto his waiting horse. He held out a hand to her and helped her onto the horse before he jumped on behind her. As he urged his horse forward, she asked. "Are we going back to the cottage now?"

"No, we're going to start the journey before my father comes back from collecting taxes." Kyouya told her. It was the one time he was glad that collecting money was the only thing his father did personally. His father would be away for the week and by the time he returned, Kyouya hoped that they would be far enough so he couldn't stop him from opening the gates.

"We have everything we need and I want to open the gates as soon as possible." Erika could hear the determination in his voice. She looked down at the broach and its similar design to her locket reminded her that her original mission was to kill his father. Even now she couldn't understand the events that led her to helping the Dark Prince.

It was clear in his voice that he was obsessed with the sun and she wondered what it meant for him beside light and a source of energy. She grew up with the sun above her head and realized how much she took it for granted. "You really like the sun but I think that the moon is beautiful as well. I never saw it before I came to the Demon Realm."

"The most that moon do is keep the ocean from drowning us," Kyouya pointed out. Erika knew that the Angel Realm was built on the clouds because their land had been taken over by the water. Their two worlds were different and she wondered what would happen when they became one again. Kyouya wondered the same as he stared up at the moon.

* * *

"We'll stop here for the night." Kyouya stopped once they reached an abandoned farm. He decided to take the same route he did when he was younger and was glad to see that the farmhouse hadn't changed. It was old but enough to keep out the cold.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to stay here?" Erika asked as she slid off his horse and he told her that no one owned the barn. Because of the lack of sunlight, most farms were abandoned or only nurture farm animals. She looked into the barn cautiously and saw that there was no sign of life. As Kyouya started to make a fire, Erika brought in his horse.

"You'll be warm in here," Erika rubbed the horse's neck. Kyouya wasn't surprise that she was taking care of the horse before she took care of herself. She struggled to remove his saddle and Kyouya laughed to himself since she looked endearingly silly.

Endearingly silly? Kyouya shook himself when he realized he described her in such a way. Erika didn't notice him watching her and grinned to herself when she finally succeeded. He needed to remind himself that she was another took and concentrate on opening the gate. She took hay and placed it in front of the horse. "Here you are. What does Kyouya call you?"

"You do realize he can't speak, right? Shouldn't you take care of yourself before you take care of an animal? He doesn't have a name and don't go naming him. I don't understand what women get out of naming animals." Kyouya sighed. The other noble women he knew would've looked after their own comfort long before they asked for its name.

"I'll name you Allister. It means bravery and you must be a strong horse to stay by the Dark Prince's side all these years. I've only started to pretend to be his Cerberus for a few days now but he has me doing his shopping." Erika spoke to the horse casually and Kyouya didn't know if he should laugh or reprimand her. "But he's really kind even if won't admit it."

"You must really want to be punished if you're calling your master cruel and kind on the same sentence." Kyouya's breath brushed her ear and she realized that he was standing much closer than she thought he was. She turned sharply and tried to step away from him but found herself cornered by him. He whistled and the horse moved around her until it was able to nudge her with its head.

"Since you've taken such a liking to my horse, you can take care of it tonight. You shouldn't go around naming other people's animals. Takeru already named him Midnight and it baffles me that you gave him a more refined name than him." Kyouya told her.

"So you're named Midnight? What a wonderful name you have! I'm going to take good care of you tonight." Erika beamed and Kyouya didn't understand how she could smile so brightly at an animal. He turned from her to look outside. It was bright enough for him to hunt despite it being the night and he told her that he would bring back food. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"It'll be better for both of us if I go alone." Kyouya answered and Erika watched him leave.

* * *

 _Kyouya's small feet ached and he nursed several bruises but he barely felt the pain as he forced himself forward. His throat was raw and the only thing that allowed him to move was sheer will. Travelling to the gate was a difficult task for any demon, let alone a demon of only ten years._

 _Yet the gates towered in front of him in the moment. Knowing that his journey was finally over, he collapsed against the bars. He couldn't see beyond the bars since the Angel Realm was casted in shadows to him. Summoning the last of his strength, Kyouya stood and looked for a way through. The gates seemed to stretch to infinity and he couldn't find the door._

 _Just as he started to lose hope and doubted that he could find a way past the gates, he heard someone familiar singing softly. His father created a law to keep demons from the gates so it could only be an angel singing. Following the voice, he found a tear in the shadows between the bars. Light streamed through but it wasn't like the moonlight he grew up with._

 _Despite the limited knowledge he had of magic, he tried to control the shadows around the tear so he could look into the Angel Realm. He was already tired but this was the only chance he had of breaking past the gates. His father created the gates and Kyouya carried that magic in his blood. He gritted his teethes and screamed. "Let me through!"_

 _The shadows opened further and the singing stopped abruptly. The light that streamed through was so brought that Kyouya winced even though it was followed by soft warmth. Opening his eyes, he realized that he made a gap large enough to peer into. A small girl was staring back at him curiously. He could tell that she was a young angel but she didn't seem to be scared by his blood red eyes._

" _Hey, help me in." Kyouya reached his arm though and ordered her. She tilted her head to the side and Kyouya wanted to scream at her to understand. Her hand was small and couldn't possibly pull him through but Kyouya was determined to enter the fabled Angel Realm long enough to find the person he searched for._

 _Kyouya was finally able to force the gap wider and he fell through. He crashed into sift cotton that was so unlike the dirt and grass he was used to that he wondered if he truly reached the gates or was currently dreaming. Kyouya rose to his knees and the first thing he saw when he looked up was the sun bordered by the clear blue sky._

 _The vibrant colours took Kyouya's breath away and he knew that he never seen the colours before. Even as he thought that, he knew that it was a lie. He had seen the colours briefly in his young life before the war. Memories of warm days and cool nights rushed back to him._

" _Kyouya?" He turned to the voice that called his name. It was the same voice singing and he realized the reason she sounded so familiar was because he had almost killed himself traveling to the gates to find her. She looked as she did in the portraits lining the castle wall._

" _Mother! Poppa told me that you left with a man and I came to save you!" The young Kyouya ran to her but she only stared down at him in shock and horror. Kyouya couldn't understand her reaction until she took his arm and led him back to the gates. "Mom?"_

" _Go back to the Demon Realm and never try to find me again, Kyouya! I love you but you need to stay with your father." She pushed him through the gates again._

 _For a moment, he couldn't react since he was pushed through the gates so quickly. He looked up to the gates again but the light had stopped streaming through the bars, shadows once again masking it. She couldn't be anyone but his mother so why did she push him away. Any sadness and rejection he felt turned to anger and he slammed his small fist against the bars._

" _It's no use, Kyouya." He only stopped when a hand fell onto his shoulder and he looked up to see his father standing above him. "I was following you to make sure you came here safely. Actually, I was hoping that you would give up before you had to meet her. Accept that she left you and forget about her."_

 _His father lifted Kyouya since he knew that Kyouya was too tired to walk. As they walked away, Kyouya found himself staring back at the gates. Even if meeting his mother wasn't like what he expected, he found something else. He knew he wouldn't forget that one moment he was able to look up and see the sun._

" _I want that sun."_

" _I'm sorry son but that gate is going to stay close. Forget this day." His father ordered but Kyouya knew he would never follow that order._

* * *

"Kyouya?" He opened his eyes to a soft light but a much duller light than the one in his dream. Kyouya found Erika leaning over him with the broach in her hands. Looking around the barn, he knew that it was late into the night and he was surprised that she was still awake despite how he ordered her to stay guard.

"Is it my turn to keep watch?" Kyouya sat up but Erika shook her head. She held out the broach to him and he was confused for a moment. He looked at it carefully but it was the same as when he examined it that morning. "What do you want me to do with this?"

"Well, you gave me this collar so I wanted to give you something that would protect you. It's not much but I want it to be a truce. We'll be working together now, after all." Erika offered him the broach again. She looked at him expectantly and he found himself taking the broach from her.

"I don't know how this will repay me but thank you." Kyouya placed it in his breast pocket and she smiled even if he hadn't worn it. Usually he wouldn't accept gifts from women but he found himself accepting hers. He would assume that they wanted something in return but he knew trusted Erika's words that she gave it to him for protection.

"It'll be a busy morning so go to sleep, I'll keep watch now." Kyouya passed her his blankets and petted her head as he would a dog. The action made Erika's heart beat faster but he already moved away from her. She was glad he accepted the broach even if she didn't know what made her give it to him.

* * *

 **Midnight and I wish you all a great new year ^-^**


	4. Cursed Forest

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters**

* * *

Kyouya brushed his horse and noted that it was much more relax than he would be in the past. Looking over the horse's back, his eyes caught Erika's. She had insisted that she helped him brush the horse and he wondered if her angelic presence was the horse was so calm.

"Aren't you a good boy, Midnight? Here's a reward for being such a patient horse."Erika fed him a carrot and it whined happily. Usually, Kyouya would only give his horse a reward after a battle but Erika handed it treats much more frequently. Even if the horse was still loyal to Kyouya, he knew that it was showing much more affection to Erika as of late.

"Don't treat my war horse like a dog." Kyouya ordered Erika and she flinched at his tone. Even if her expression made him feel guilty, he knew that he couldn't show her kindness and create false expectation. He turned away from her and went to saddle his horse. "If you give him too much kindness, he'll become soft. Soft people don't last long in the Demon Realm."

Erika heard him state a similar thought many times and she wondered if it was true. She dearly hoped that it wasn't true since she wanted to believe that all people were kind. Many would call her naïve and trusting but thinking that one had to be cruel to survive was a depressing thought. "He's my horse and my procession so it's not your place to decide how I treat him."

"But you love Midnight, don't you? You wouldn't have chosen him for this journey if he wasn't important to you or if you didn't trust it." Kyouya raised his brow at the word love. "If you treat someone you love as a procession, you'll make him feel trap and you don't want to be loved for a reason like that. Love should be something comforting and freeing."

"Have you ever been in love? Felt an unconditional love that doesn't stem from obligation through blood ties, I mean. Tell me, Little Angel, about your experience with love." He said in a mocking tone and Erika couldn't answer him since she had never fallen in love with a man. She knew that he had guessed that fact already when he spoke coldly. "Don't lecture me about love when you know nothing."

"Then tell me about the love you experienced!" Erika asked him. Kyouya turned to her in shock since no woman would snap back at him such. She puffed her cheeks and he knew that she was waiting for an answer that he wouldn't give her. "I won't listen to you speak of love like this so tell me about the woman that broke your heart. I know that it must've been painful but I'll convince you that-"

"Angels really are something," Kyouya laughed under his breath. She was more stubborn than he first thought she was and he wondered why she thought so highly of love that it triggered her reaction. Love was something intangible and he couldn't trust it. "Hearing my experience won't change your mind any more than anything you can say will change my mind."

"I grew up seeing my parents support each other and my father said that they're able to withstand anything because they love and support each other. I know it exists." Erika told him and he rolled his eyes. She thought of her parents in the heavens and felt a little lonely. She consoled herself when she told herself that they would be safe once she helped Kyouya.

"I'll show you! Once we open the gates and they move into castle for protection, you'll see how they act around each other." Erika pointed out and he wondered about her parents. He never seen his parents interact but thought that it couldn't be with love since his mother ran away with another man. "I promise I'll show what love is."

Erika held out her hand to him and offered the strangest proposal he ever heard. Without meeting her eyes, he gently moved her hand away so he could saddle his horse. "Do whatever you want but you won't change what I know as truth. Our agreement was that you help me open the gate and I'll offer you protection in return, nothing more. Love is not a part of our relationship."

"I understand…" Erika said softly because she couldn't raise her voice any louder. She couldn't understand why his words hurt her but she couldn't deny that her heart tightened either. Her eyes followed him as he saddled Midnight but his eyes never drifted to her. A part of her knew that it wouldn't do anyone any good if their relationship progressed and tried to bury the feelings.

* * *

Kyouya used his power to move the trees so that Midnight could maneuver through the forest easier. In his mind, he debated if he should quicken their pace since he needed to reach the gate before his father returned to the castle and find him missing. On the other hand, he didn't want to push Midnight and Erika any harder then he already was.

 _Is that angel worth all this trouble?_ Kyouya wondered as they continued down the path. The journey would be easier if he didn't need to accommodate for her needs. He could travel much faster if he took her necklace instead.

"How much further is the gate?" Erika asked behind him and he sighed since he knew that she would start to complain eventually but he didn't think she would start only after an hour of riding. He told her that they would be riding throughout the day, she looked worried. "Will Midnight be able to handle that? He'll get exhausted if we push him too much."

"Will you stop calling my horse that silly name Takeru gave it? He's just a horse. Anyways, he's a strong companion so he'll be able to handle anything on this journey. We've been through worse and we'll get through this." Kyouya told her and she wondered why he refused to call the horse by name despite how fondly he spoke of the animal.

"And shouldn't you worry about yourself more than my horse?" Kyouya asked her and she thought that it was only natural to worry about others. When he looked over his shoulder at her, he could see that her intention matched her words since her eyes reflected her emotions. "The women in court were weak and could never road their horses for long even during an outing."

"Maybe they aren't used to riding. It's not right to judge people as weak." Erika defended and he didn't know how she could do so when she never met them. She was different from them to say the least and it was as humorous as it was refreshing. "My family is modest so I've always wonder about what life's like in the castle. They always wear such beautiful dresses."

"But they're dull to look at if you're forced to converse with them and find nothing to speak about. My father would always force women onto me to continue the family line." Kyouya found himself telling her and was surprised that he found it easy to speak with her. He would usually find conversation tedious but felt comfortable around her. "All they want is my title."

"I'm sure you'll find someone that would love you for yourself." Erika encouraged him but she didn't know what made her do so. The thought of him with another woman made her heart tighten painfully for a reason she couldn't explain. He was so cold towards love, she wanted him to be able to open his heart enough to let love in.

 _Worrying about the Dark Prince, what a silly thing to do?_ Erika thought to herself. She doubted that she could change him. "And I know that you're capable of love even if you don't want to admit it. You love your people and you're working so hard to bring them the sun. I'm sure that you would a kind king since you're offering my family protection."

"Remember those words when we open the gates since I can't promise that everything will be easy once we do. There might be war and the people within the castle won't accept angels easily even if you're there under my protection. I'll help you find work in my castle but the best I can probably do is hire you as a maid. Will you be able to accept that?"

"But my parents would be safe and that's all I really care about. Anyways, you promised that you'll protect us and I'm making sure you keep your promises." Erika told him and he knew that she meant the words. It was as admirable as it was foolish. "I'm much more willing to work as a maid than to be an assassin. I don't understand why I was even sent on this mission."

"Because you're much too easy to manipulate when your parents are involved," Kyouya guessed. He himself had been able to convince her to help him when he offered her family protection. "It's obvious you love them but that blind loyalty will hurt you someday."

"Must you be so pessimistic all the time?" Erika sighed and Kyouya grunted in answer. She found it rather ironic that Kyouya, a person so cold, was searching so hard for something as bright and warm as the sun. "Look at all the stars in the sky! You can't be so angry at the world when it's so beautiful. I wonder how the Demon Realm will change when we bring back the sun."

"My people will have hope and opportunities the night could never give us." Kyouya answered him and she wished he was facing her so she could see what emotions were playing in his eyes. She leaned her head back and stared up at the moon. Erika didn't know if it was the quiet of the seemingly night or the lure of the moon above her, but she found herself becoming tired.

"The stars are beautiful, aren't they?" Erika asked behind him and Kyouya started to ask what she meant but stopped when he felt her head fall lightly against his back. She had stayed awake for most of the night to keep watch so he wasn't that was tired. What kind of woman could fall asleep around the Dark Prince? But he gently took her arms and placed it around his waist more securely.

* * *

"Damnit," Kyouya cursed when they reached a ravine. He took the same path he did when he was a child but he couldn't remember crossing a ravine. In fact, he knew that it wouldn't have been possible for him to cross at that age. When he touched the edge of the gorge, he felt a powerful magic and knew that the ravine wasn't natural.

Kyouya lifted a rock with his magic and tried to move it across the ravine. His magic failed him when a more powerful force forced the rock to the bottom of the cliff. It wouldn't be possible for him to use his power to fly them across the river. But he came too far to let a simple ravine stop him from reaching the gate. "Midnight won't be able to jump so we need to find another way across."

Erika, who was still seated on Midnight, studied the ravine and tried to think of a way the three could cross. "Maybe-"

"We can't use magic to cross since there's a curse that forced anything above it to fall to the bottom. My magic's not strong enough to resist it so I doubt that you'll be able to fly us across." Kyouya told her and she puffed her cheeks at his dismissal. When she once against tried to tell him her idea, he turned away from her to study the ravine again.

"My father's probably the one that created this ravine so we shouldn't break it or else he'll know that we're going to the gates. Maybe we can follow the ravine to see if it ends," Kyouya spoke to himself quietly. Erika tried to get his attention again but he ignored her. "If it's not too deep, we can try climbing but we won't be able to take my horse and I don't want to abandon him."

"Listen to me!" Erika screamed and he turned to face her when she shook his shoulder. Her cheeks were puffed and it was obvious that she was frustrated. To him, she looked like a dog begging for attention but he knew better to speak the thought out loud. "I can help you figure out a way across the ravine. I'm sure I can help you with my powers."

"I doubt you have the strength to carry both me and my horse while flying." Kyouya rolled his eyes. To be honest, he didn't know how powerful her angelic magic would be against his father's curse. She huffed and he raised a brow when she turned away from him to start pushing at a tree. "What are you doing? Attacking a tree won't help us cross."

"I'm trying to make a bridge while you're standing there being an arrogant jerk!" Erika told him on a frustrated breath. He didn't know if her idea held any merit but told himself that they had nothing to lose if it didn't work. "When this works, I want an apology for ignoring me."

"No Cerberus will speak to me the way are," Kyouya muttered under his breath. While he tried to sound annoyed, it amused him. He looked up and studied the tree and was trying to push. "If you want to make a bridge, we'll have to choose a larger tree. This one's too small to reach the other side. I doubt that any of these trees will be large enough so we'll have to find something else to make a bridge."

Erika looked up at the tree and thought for a moment. She placed both of her palms against the tree trunk again. This time, Kyouya watched her as he wondered what she would do. The ground shook slightly as the tree began to grow larger. Her brows furrowed as she concentrated on the tree. "Please tell me when it's large enough to use."

Kyouya watched the tree grew but from the corner of his eyes, he could see her exerting herself. He knew that she was straining herself with the spell and wondered why she was trying so hard to help him. The moment he saw the tree was large enough, Kyouya pulled her away from the tree. "That's enough."

"Thank God," Erika stepped back and Kyouya caught her.

"Are all angels as foolish as you or is it just you?" Kyouya asked even as he gently lifted her into his arms. She must've been too tired to argue with him since the only reply she made was an irritated expression. Erika's heart stopped for a moment when he gently placed his hand on her head. "You did a good job. I'll take care of the rest."

His words made Erika feel happier than she thought it would. Why did a simple praise make her feel warm and content? She tried to find the answer as he climbed onto Midnight. She told herself that using so much magic made her too tired to think properly, she pushed the thoughts from her side and rested her head against his chest.

"Let's go Midnight." Kyouya maneuvered his horse to face the ravine. With his power, he cut the base of the tree and watched it fall across the ravine until it was caught on the other side. The curse began to pull the tree downwards but it held steady. Kyouya quickly rode his horse over the tree trunk before it could break. He didn't know if the tree could hold their weight but trusted Midnight's speed.

Once they reached the other side, Kyouya turned back to see the tree cave in on itself and fall into the ravine. He let out the breath he was holding and patted Midnight's neck, thanking it gently. Feeling Erika's weight in his arms, he looked down at her to find her grinning up at him and he knew that she was expecting similar words. "Fine, I'm sorry for not listening to you earlier."

"I got the Dark Prince to apologize to me!" Erika cheered triumphantly and Kyouya rolled his eyes. He didn't realize it at the time but a smile tugged at his lips as she spoke to Midnight excitedly. There was something in her laughter that made him feel strange. She was more dependable than he first thought and was glad he brought her on his journey.

* * *

"If you're tired, you can rest," Erika told Kyouya when she saw that he was struggling to stay awake. He didn't reply and she felt hurt by the silence. She thought that he would be able to depend on her more since she helped him cross the ravine but it seem that wasn't the case.

"We need to ride through the night. I doubt you can control a war horse or support my weight if I do fall asleep. I would rather not fall off my horse," Kyouya told her and she couldn't blame him for thinking so. She could only be hurt from his cold tone. "I want to reach the gate as soon as possible and, if that ravine was any indication, there could be more traps up ahead."

"All the more reason for you to sleep," Erika pointed out. "What if we face an enemy and you don't have the strength to fight? I'm only saying this because I'm worried about you and I don't want to see you get hurt. So can you put aside your pride and rest for a bit? You can trust me to protect you while I sleep."

"Why do women like to argue?" Kyouya sighed and he knew that she would only continue to do so until he relented. He knew that it was better to continue but he could feel her concerned gaze on his back. Despite his better judgement, he pulled his horse to a stop. "We'll make camp if you're so insistent but, know this, I won't go easy on you tomorrow. Why do even care so much about me?"

 _Why am I so worried about him?_ Erika asked herself. She was assigned to murder him and she heard awful tales about him but after meeting him she couldn't get him out of her mind. She was painfully aware that he was using her but something about the prince he showed only her made her wonder.

"Isn't it normal to worry about your friends?" Erika asked in a quiet voice but even as she said the words, she knew that friendship didn't explain the feelings she felt entirely. Kyouya didn't reply to her words as he dismounted to help her down. Their eyes didn't meet as he helped her off his horse so she asked, "We are friends, aren't we? You're not using me anymore so we're friends now."

Kyouya didn't reply as he set her down. She realized how important his answer was when he didn't give her one and the question echoed in her mind. What did she expect him to say? What did she want him to say? Those questions raced through her mind as she watched Kyouya take supplies out of Midnight's saddle bag. She couldn't stand the silence so offered, "I'll go and find some firewood."

"You can do whatever you want," Kyouya said as she left but his voice was distant. For a moment she thought he wouldn't speak with her further since he turned away from her to set up camp. His voice only became louder when he looked over his shoulder at her. "Be careful while you're looking for wood and don't go too far. I'll set up camp here."

His words made her feel more assured of their comradery and she nodded happily. Erika made sure not to wonder too far as she searched the ground for twigs for a fire. Soon her arms were filled and she started to walk back to the camp. Despite the cold tone he used at times, she felt like they were becoming closer. No matter what happens after they open the gate, she was glad she didn't kill him.

In the distance, she heard Kyouya scream and she dropped the wood instinctively. With her heart racing, she ran to the camp and saw that he was frantically trying to keep Midnight from running away. She didn't know what scared the horse but she ran to calm it. To her shock, Kyouya threw a glare over his shoulder at her. "Stay back!"

"But Midnight needs help!" Erika protested. "What's wrong with him?"

"It's another of my father's curses." Kyouya explained. He had barely started to set up camp when Midnight started to attack the ground. Its movement were so frantic that he knew that the horse could hurt itself and anyone close to it. The only rational he could think was that his father placed a curse on the forest near the gate like he did with the ravine.

Kyouya had owned the horse for most of his life and not once had the loyal animal turn on him such so Kyouya was at his wits end. He held onto its reins tightly since he knew that it would run if he did. He hesitated to use his power to subdue the horse since he didn't want to hurt it.

"Damnit!" Kyouya swore when Midnight knocked him away. He landed roughly against a tree but forced himself to his feet again. When he glanced at Erika, he could see that she was worried but knew that she couldn't defend herself against Midnight's power. Logic told him to rid himself of the horse but Kyouya couldn't bring himself to do so.

The horse lifted itself onto its hind legs and stomped on the ground next to Kyouya. His inactiveness would only damn him but Kyouya continued to search for a way to save the horse. He tried to use the trees to restrain the horse but it broke away easily.

Not able to continue watching Kyouya struggle with the horse, Erika stepped forward. She didn't want to hurt Midnight either so she focused on protecting Kyouya. He looked shocked when she stepped in front of him but she concentrated on materializing the air before them to create a shield. She wasn't sure she could maintain it for long but it was all she could do at the moment.

"Please calm down, Midnight!" Erika begged the horse but Kyouya doubted the animal could understand her, let alone hear her over his father's curse. He wanted to pull her away from the animal when it stood to attack once again. Before he could pull her out of its path, her wings appeared and stunned them into stillness. He watched her as she close the space between them.

"Now that's the Midnight I know." Erika spoke softly when she saw that he wouldn't attack her. Gently, she stroked its mane to keep him calm. As she did so, she found a small creature in its mane and pulled the bug free. Kyouya quickly took the bug from her and killed it quickly. Once it was dead, Midnight nudged them with his head. "You're trying to say you're sorry, aren't you."

"You're a good boy." Kyouya praised. He felt relieved and was glad that he didn't have to kill his horse. Midnight rested its head on his shoulder but his eyes were on Kyouya and he realized what he kept the creature's gaze. He found himself staring at Erika's wings as well since they held the same soft light as the sun. "Erika, your wings are still showing."

"Sorry. I wanted to distract Midnight without using my powers to hurt him." Erika quickly hid her wings again since she knew that its light would attract too much attention. Even after her wings faded away, Kyouya found himself staring at her as if she was the sun. She didn't notice his gaze since her attention was on Midnight.

"You're bleeding, Kyouya." Erika finally turned to him and noticed a cut on his temple. Even though it wasn't deep enough to leave a scar, she fretted over it and used her magic to heal it. The warmth of her hand stayed even when she pulled away. "All better now. We should set up camp now."

"I'll get the firewood this time. Midnight seems to be more receptive to you so you can deal with him if he becomes agitated again." Kyouya stepped away from her quickly and turned his back to her. He could feel her confused gaze on his back but he ignored it. He looked down at his hand and found it shaking. He ran the hand through his hair and tried to calm the confusing feelings in his.

"What are you doing to me?"

* * *

The light didn't fail to catch the attention of the king since it stood out against the dark night so starkly. He scowled when saw it since he knew that the light could only belong to an angel. Even though the light was far in the distance, he knew exactly where it came from. The forest in front of the gates.

He remembered the angel he saw with his son and scowled to himself. At the time, he thought little of the angel since she seemed loyal to his son. But knowing that his son was once again trying to reach the damned gates, he had to question the relationship between the two. What was his son planning?

"I should've killed her then." And the Demon King never made the same mistake twice.

* * *

 **I know this have been taking a long time to update but I've been studying hard for my midterms. They're not letting up soon but I'll continue to update whenever I can.**


	5. Demon Hotel

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters**

* * *

Erika watched Kyouya and wondered if something was on his mind since he seemed to be distracted. Even when she tried to speak with him, it would take a moment for him to respond and she was beginning to worry about him. Even though he was polite yet distant from her when they first met, she would rather him be the prince she came to know over the journey.

"Kyouya, are you still worried about Midnight?" Erika asked, trying to discover the reason he was so silent. He didn't answer her besides grunting silently and she tried to think of anything else they could talk about. At least the grunt was more than she received the past hour of travelling. "He wasn't affected by the curse again so you don't have to worry about him."

"He's a strong horse so he wouldn't let a stupid curse affect him a second time." Kyouya finally spoke a full sentence to him and her heart reacted by quickening. How could the simple sound of his voice make her heart race? She didn't know the answer but knew that she was glad that he was speaking to her again. "Again, thank you for bringing him back to me."

"I didn't help that much," Erika blushed at his acknowledgement. She knew that he rarely gave out praise and thanks so the simple words made her feel humbled. She honestly didn't think she did much since the light within her was small and natural to her. "I'm sure that it was all Midnight here! You're right when you said that he's strong- just like his master."

"Girl and their empty compliments. I'll never understand why women even hand them out so much. You know they become useless if you giving out compliments?" Kyouya chastised her but he knew that she was too simple minded to have any ulterior motive when she complimented anyone. It was just in her sweet nature to give praise to people.

"But I'm saying the truth that both you and Midnight are strong! Why is it so hard for you to believe me when I'm trying to be nice?" Erika asked. She was truly curious about the reason he was closed off from others. Something in his behaviour told her that it was more than the philosophy of the Demon Realm since he had moment of kindness.

Even though she knew that she unfamiliar with his life in the Demon Realm, she felt as if she was beginning to learn more about him. She found herself leaning against his back and found that it was strong and warm. The man before her was the Dark Prince but she felt safe with him. "You don't have to believe me but I mean it. You're really strong and you've saved me a lot."

"I didn't really have the choice since you always find yourself in danger. I'm sure if I hadn't found you that day, you would've been eaten by wolves by now." Kyouya spoke the thought out loud and Erika had to laugh as she agreed. But he surprised her by saying, "Then again you might've saved yourself. It'll only be a matter of time before you get yourself in danger again then."

"I don't know if you're complimenting me or not." Erika puffed her cheeks and Kyouya laughed. It felt freeing to him but he didn't turn to face her since he didn't want her to think that he was letting his guard down around her. "And I don't think I get into danger any more than you do."

"Want to count the number of time I rescued you and the number of times you rescued me? Whoever loses can walk the rest of the way to the gates while the other rides Midnight. Carrying two people and our packs is putting a strain on him." Kyouya joked but Erika paled and fretted over Midnight's health. "Don't worry, Midnight's strong enough to carry the moon on his back."

"Just because he can carry that weight on his own, it doesn't mean that he should. I'm worried that over time he won't be able to carry this weight." She felt Kyouya stiffen in her arms and she wondered if he was worried about Midnight now. "Maybe we should stop and let him rest. We've been riding for a while so it's time we eat as well."

"We haven't been riding that long and if we stop every few miles to eat, we'll run out of rations. Your stomach will just have to wait until we make actual progress. I doubt we'll find a place that serves food this far from the capital. My father forbids people to even travel to the gates so the only thing we'll find in this forest is monsters and curses."

"But what about that building?" Erika asked when she looked over his shoulder and saw a sign mostly hidden by greenery. Kyouya was focused on the road so didn't notice the sign. He only stopped Midnight briefly to read the sign before continuing on. "Wait, that sign says that there was a hotel if you take the marked route. We should go to get more food and let Midnight rest."

"This is the reason that I said you'll find yourself in trouble without me. I told you that no one will live this close to the gates so that sign is probably another trap my father set up. You trust people too much so it's easy for people to trick you." Kyouya lectured but Erika knew that what he said was logical. "We shouldn't diverge from this path."

"I guess you're right." Erika agreed but something made her look back at the sign they passed. While she liked travelling with Kyouya, she missed having a hot home cooked meal. Ever since they left on their journey, they had been eating animals he caught. A part of her also wanted to have a normal dinner with him instead of sitting in a dark forest. "It would've been nice though."

"Even if the hotel wasn't a trap set by my father, I doubt that the hotel would be any safer for us." Kyouya knew that women had a less stamina and seek finer things so he shouldn't be surprised that she would want to stay in a hotel for the night. But a part of him was surprised since she didn't seem to be like the other ladies he knew.

Kyouya placed his hand over Midnight's ear and focused his magic on his horse. He didn't know if his magic could overcome his father's but he could at least he could help Midnight fight its effect. He couldn't have another of his father's tricks slow them again. A weight in his gut told him that he needed to reach the gates quickly but he couldn't explain the feeling.

"Are the trees moving?" Erika asked when she looked around his body and Kyouya turned his gaze back to the path. The road was beginning to be swallowed by the trees and Kyouya swore since he knew Midnight wouldn't be able to continue down the path. He jumped off and went to investigate the trees. A weak spell was placed over it and Kyouya almost laughed at how pathetic the spell was.

"You're losing your touch old man," Kyouya didn't think twice before summoning black fire to burn down the trees. The path was cleared but he wondered if it was the right thing to do when he saw that a war torn building was now blocking the path. Was it the same hotel that Erika saw advertised on the sign? If it was, it would be best to leave it be.

"Let's go around and see if we can find the road again." Kyouya took Midnight's rein and walked him around the building. Erika stayed seated on Midnight and wondered why he was walking instead of riding. She looked curiously at the building and thought she felt someone staring at her. "It's a trap Erika so stop staring at it. We're not entering so just stay on Midnight."

She knew from his tone that he expected her to follow his command. Logic told her that it was best to leave the building be so she tried to tear herself away. But she found that she couldn't ignore the building when she heard something come from inside. It sounded like a scream and something breaking so she rushed off Midnight to help whoever was in the hotel.

"Damnit Erika, I told you to stay on Midnight!" Kyouya chased her but she used her wings to push herself forward. She flew into the window closest to her and found herself in a bar filled with people and demons. Before she could ask if someone was hurt, she felt Kyouya behind her. He pulled her back into his chest and placed his cloak over her.

Kyouya's crimson's eyes stopped the demons from moving forward since they were the namesake colour of royalty. His gaze dared them to attack him as he stood but he kept a protective arm around Erika. He placed her behind and kept her hidden under his cloak. He pulled his sword from its sheath to fight. There was no question that they saw her wings and he couldn't let them run to his father with the information.

"I heard someone shout and I was worried someone was hurt. I'm a healer so I can help." Erika tried to move around him to see if someone was truly hurt but it was difficult since his strong arm held her back. He wished that she wasn't a terrible mix of impulsive and kind. Finally she relaxed behind him when she realized that crowd of demons staring at them.

Erika berated herself in her mind for possibly falling for their trap. Kyouya waited for them to attack her but they started to slowly back away from him. He didn't want to fight them but he couldn't risk having his father discover that he was traveling to the gate. Traveling through the shadows, he rushed to block them from leaving.

"Wait!" Erika shouted when she realized that the demons were clearly afraid of him. He ignored her and lifted his sword to fight them. The demons started to transform to fight as well and she knew that she wouldn't be able to talk either out of fighting. Panicking, she used her power to stop time around them. "I said stop! Kyouya, I don't think they want to fight."

"Are you crazy? This hotel is obviously a trap set up by my father and these demons are dangerous. Do you really want to risk letting them go?" Kyouya argued and tried to break through her spell. At least she stopped the demons as well and he wouldn't have to worry about them attacking her. "If I don't kill them here, they'll hurt us later."

"Just let me think of a way out of this!" Erika told him and he wanted to throw his hands up in frustration. No other woman had talked back to him so blatantly, especially when it was clear that she wasn't confident about her action. He wondered if she had a plan but a voice in his mind told him that she most likely didn't.

"You can't honestly believe that anything you do will make these demons help us." Kyouya sighed heavily and Erika looked at each demon with eyes free from any judgement. He knew that she wouldn't believe his words but he doubted she could think of anything to offer the demons. She bit her lower lip and seemed to have notice something he didn't.

"You're not trying to fight my spell." She lowered her arms and Kyouya felt the weight keeping him in place lessen until he could move again. Erika was calm when she faced the demons when she saw that they were slightly weary of her. "Why are you here in this hotel when Kyouya says that no one dare travel so close to the gates? You all must have a reason to leave your family in the capital."

"We don't have much of a choice but to live here." Someone finally answered her. A shadowed dropped from the ceiling and she stepped back in shock. Without Erika's spell over him, he moved between her and the shadow quickly. The shadow fell off the person and Kyouya was surprised to see a woman standing before him. It was obvious that she hid her power and he hadn't notice her until now.

The other demons gathered behind her and it was obvious they were looking to her for protection. Kyouya thought she looked vaguely familiar and the angry gleam in her eyes made him confused since most of the warriors his father employed had empty eyes. She pointed her finger at him, her deadly claw a clear threat. "How were you able to find my hotel?"

"It just appeared in front of us! Kyouya wanted to go around it but I thought someone was hurt and ran in!" Erika explained in defence of Kyouya. It was obvious to even Erika that the women held some resentment against him since there was a glint in her eyes. "My name's Erika and this is Kyouya. We're just travelers and we don't want any trouble."

"I don't believe that you just stumbled on this hotel. It should be protected from outsiders and this hotel will only show itself to people who need its protection. I doubt the Dark Prince needs my protection." She placed her hands on her hips. The woman's dry tone annoyed Kyouya and he wanted nothing more than to leave the hotel in ashes but knew Erika wouldn't allow him to.

"What do you mean?" Erika asked and Kyouya was surprised that she was so calm when they were surrounded by demons. He doubted that it was merely her ignorance of the danger around her. The woman didn't have any reason to answer Erika's question and Kyouya wondered why Erika thought the woman would. "You don't seem like a bad person since you haven't attacked us yet."

"Why is someone like you with the Dark Prince?" The woman asked, truly confused. It was obvious to anyone who listened to their conversation that Erika and Kyouya were drastically different people. "This hotel is a refuge for people who don't have a home to return to anymore. People wrongly prosecuted by your father have no choice but to flee or face death."

"So you're all wanted for going against my father?" Kyouya laughed when he finally recognized some of the demons. He relaxed knowing that they were afraid of the power his royal blood gave him. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Erika look at them with pity. A part of him could understand her pity since they were forced to run as far as the gates to hide from his father's wrath.

"If there anything we can do to help?" Erika offered suddenly and he couldn't understand why she would do so since there was nothing she could do. "I don't sense any evil in you and if you were wrongly accused, Kyouya can convince his father to let you return to your families. The hotel revealed itself to us for a reason and it must be to help you!"

"The hotel doesn't have a will of its own. I have a friend in the royal guards that help guide innocent victims here. I protect everyone here from the likes of people like you!" She threw an accusing finger at Kyouya but he didn't dignify her with more than a blank stare. "How did you find this hotel? I don't think my friend would lead you here!"

Kyouya was silent for a moment but then faced the woman with serious eyes. "Is your friend from the castle guard named Takeru?"

The woman stiffened and that was answer enough for him. Kyouya sighed and didn't know if he should let the hotel be or stay to investigate the group. The woman opened her mouth to ask him something but he cut her off. "Takeru is the only person I know that both brave and stupid enough to pull off a stunt like helping people escape my father."

"Takeru and Kyouya are friends so you don't have to worry!" Erika tried to explain though she knew that it would be difficult to believe when Kyouya words were so cold. She could feel the cold distrust between the two and tried to come between them. "If Takeru tried to bring us here there must be a reason! Can't we just get along until we know the reason?"

"Fine you can stay here while I try to contact Takeru. But the moment you try something, I'll know." She gave in. Before she could walk away, Erika asked for her name. "It's Sanda. That's all you need to know about me."

* * *

"You're even quieter now than you were this morning." Erika found Kyouya sitting alone. He barely greeted her and kept his attention on the window where Midnight waited. His gaze only turned to her when she placed a bowl in front of him. "At least we get a home cooked meal now so you should eat while you can. Is something on your mind?"

"Why didn't Takeru tell me about this place? We're friends and we helped each other so many times so I don't see why he wouldn't ask me for help." Kyouya found himself speaking with her. She thought back to how Kyouya sent the boy to Takeru for protection. It seemed like something natural to them and it was obvious they were close despite how detached Kyouya was from others.

"I'm sure Takeru has his reason and you only need to ask him when we get back." Erika told him encouraging and that smile made his heart swell. It was silly but her smile made him believe that everything would turn out alright. Maybe it was the groundless confidence she had in others. "But we should make the best out of this."

"I don't know why you're so happy that we're trapped here. Even if it's true that Takeru is helping her, I don't know if we can trust her. We need to get to the gate before my father returns to the castle and find me missing. Takeru will be the first person he question and I don't want to think of what he'll so to get the truth out of him."

"Takeru is a strong man." Erika tried to comfort him.

"As strong as he is stupid, I don't want him to get into trouble because of me." Kyouya sighed and leaned back in his chair. Takeru hid the hotel from him so why did he make the hotel reveal itself to him and Erika? Something in his gut told him that something was wrong. "What is taking that woman so long to connect with Takeru so we can get this whole thing over with?"

"I'm sure Sanda will come back with good news soon. I'll go and clean up these plates." She took the finished bowl from Kyouya and he watched her leave. Despite her confident tone, he saw how stiff her back was as she walked away. Knowing that her optimism wasn't endless made her appear stronger to him. How could she smile when she wasn't even confident in it?

Erika walked into the kitchen where she took the food. The stares the other demons gave her ranged from distrust to curiosity but she ignored them since she didn't want them to affect her. She placed the bowls into a water basin and began to wash them. She could sense the demon's fear and she knew that it was because they were afraid their refuge was at risk. "I wish there was something I could do."

Erika spoke to herself as she washed the dishes. A pair of hands took the plate she was about to set aside and Erika turned to see Sanda drying the plate. Erika didn't know what to say to the woman but she appeared to be deep in thought. Treading lightly, Erika asked. "Were you able to ask Takeru why he wanted to show us the hotel?"

"Why are you travelling with the Dark Prince so far?" Sanda asked instead of answering her question. "I can't believe that someone like you will be traveling with him willingly. You don't seem to be like the other Cerberus owned by royalty since you wouldn't follow any order but the prince's and I doubt he told you to wash these dishes. And there was also that light."

Erika knew that she couldn't reveal that she was an angel so tried to think of a lie. "That light was just a trick. It was to get everyone's attention when I tried to find who was hurt. But I'm really glad that no one was hurt. Kyouya's probably mad at me for acting so rashly but he'll come around."

To Sanda's surprise, Erika had a slight blush as she laughed softly to herself. Sanda couldn't believe that the light she emitted earlier was merely a trick. "I know Kyouya may not seem like it but he really is kind. I wouldn't have joined him on this journey if I didn't think that. I'm sure Takeru will tell you that Kyouya's kind as well since they seem like great friends. He's not like his father."

"Takeru did say the same," Sanda admitted. "When he first offered to help me rescue demons, he said that we should ask the Dark Prince for help. I begged him not to and I'm surprised he kept his promise 'til now. I'm just worried why he led you guys here now."

"He must care about him as much as Kyouya." Erika saw that Sanda's face softened when she spoke of Takeru. She knew that it wouldn't make her happy to hear but Erika thought Sanda and Kyouya had more in common than they knew. "I hope we can be friends too!"

"Okay," Sanda took the hand Erika held out to her.

* * *

Erika looked around the room but couldn't find Kyouya. After she finished speak with Sanda, she went back to look for Kyouya but he wasn't in the room anymore and she could only guess that he was taking care of Midnight. Her thoughts were confirmed when she looked out the window and saw Kyouya feeding his horse apples.

She opened the window and called out to him. Midnight sensed her first and trotted to greet her. Kyouya watched the two interact as if they could actually speak and he could almost forget the reason they were in the hotel. Kyouya leaned against midnight and looked up at her. "I saw you speaking with that woman. I'll take care of Midnight and then we can speak privately."

Kyouya didn't wait for her to answer before he led Midnight away. She watched him for a moment before pushing herself away from the window. She was still confused about his distant behaviour but she was glad that he was still willing to speak with her. Deciding that it was best to wait for Kyouya, she sat on a chair randomly.

"Do you play?" Sanda asked and Erika realized that she had sat on the piano seat. She was surprised that such an instrument was in the Demon Realm. While angels were known to be musically talented, Erika didn't have the talent or patience to play. "That thing has been here forever but none of us know how to play. I don't even know if it still works."

Gently, Erika lifted the cover and pressed a few keys. The soft notes were soft but drew the attention of the other demons. They started to gather around her and she felt pressured to continue playing. She continued to press the keys, lost on what to actually do with everyone's eyes on her. Suddenly, she felt Kyouya's familiar warmth cover her hand and guide her fingers across the keys.

"You suck at playing the piano." His voice echoed in her ear. She looked over her shoulder and found his face close to her but he concentrated on the keys. She couldn't feel the stares of the demons anymore as her attention was on Kyouya's hand over hers. "I thought angels were supposed to be musical."

"Kyouya?" She turned to face him when he played the final note. She wanted to ask him he learned to play but he leaned away from her, breaking the moment. When he saw her struggling to play as the demons watched her, he decided to help her but he didn't know if it was the right choice that her eyes were staring at him curiously.

A frantic knocking made Erika jump and pull away from Kyouya. The demons scurried into the shadows and Sanda looked through the window to see who was outside. Her face became pale and she rushed to open the door. Takeru fell through the doorway and Kyouya ran to his friend's side. "What are you doing here Takeru?"

"Thank goodness I got to you before the king did." Takeru rushed to make an explanation. "I don't know how but your father found out that you're going to the gate. He's on his way right now!"

* * *

 **For the past four week (excluding reading week) I had at least one midterm every week and today was the only day I could carve out to write. I have another one on Tuesday too so I don't know when's the next time I'll have time to write. But I will never give up on this fanfic since I'm determined to finish it. You don't know how relaxing writing is to me.**


	6. Princes and Knights

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters**

* * *

Kyouya ran his hand through his hair to restrain himself from letting his anger become physical. Almost immediately after Takeru burst into the hotel, he collapsed. While Erika tended to his friend, Kyouya was left with worry and questions. How could his father know that he was away from the castle and traveling to gate when he was supposed to still be traveling to collect taxes?

"And of course that idiot risked his life getting here." Kyouya's frustration finally bubbled over when he looked over at his friend lying unconscious on a bed. He kicked a chair out of his path since he couldn't direct his anger at anything else. Takeru was the most dependable man he knew but why would he travel to the gate just to warn someone like the Dark Prince?

"You better get well soon so I can beat some sense into you." Kyouya ordered as he righted the chair so he could sit next to Takeru. Seeing the light glow around Erika's hands shine over Takeru reassured Kyouya and he forced himself to suppress his anger. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he lost his control of his emotions.

Erika watched him try to ice over his emotions but he couldn't hide the concern in his eyes. The genuine concern in his eyes told her how important of a friend Takeru was. She didn't know if it was right for her to offer him comfort when she didn't know if he would accept it let alone wanted it. He placed his forehead against fist and his bangs fell over his eyes. "Why would you this, idiot?"

"You're his friend and he wanted to help you." Erika couldn't stop herself from comforting him when she saw him so consumed by guilt. She moved to his side and placed her hand over his fist. He looked at her then, his eyes searching for something in hers, and she gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'm going to heal him. I won't let anything happen to your friend. That's what a Cerberus would do."

"You really are strange. I said you needed to pretend to be my Cerberus, not to be one." Kyouya found himself laughing despite the situation. He ruffled her hair to tease her but he found himself letting his hand linger in her hair. Her large eyes stared up at him and once again he felt something strange so he let his hand fall to his side again. "Stop staring and focus on healing Takeru."

Erika nodded and turned back to Takeru to tend to his wound. She leaned over Takeru and placed her hand over his heart. He didn't seem to be hurt significantly but she couldn't see how he could have so many scratches over his body. The journey might've not been easy but she never felt that she was in danger. Could it be because Kyouya was always there with her?

Sneaking a glance at Kyouya, she tried to read his mind. It was a comfort to her that he wasn't as tense as before but he continued to stare at the ground without focusing on it. They both fell silent but it didn't feel awkward. She felt that the silence was what they both needed to collect their thoughts.

"Did Takeru wake up yet?" The door opened and Sanda walked into the room. Sanda was shocked when Takeru said that the Demon King was heading towards the gate so immediately went to secure the hotel. She looked concerned and tired so Erika was quick to tell her that he was merely resting. She sat next to Erika but refused to face Kyouya.

"I don't know if my curse magic is strong enough to keep this place hidden from you father but it should buy us some time to think of what to do. What I want to know is why you and your father are going to the gate?" Sanda demanded to know and he wondered what she been through to make her brave enough to stand against royalty.

While Erika didn't seem to be weary of him, it was due to her innocence while he knew Sanda's defiance came from anger and hatred. How could someone like her be friends with someone like Takeru to the point that she trusted him to keep the hotel a secret? "Takeru wouldn't betray me to my father so I'm sure he wouldn't leave anything for him to follow."

"That's right!" Erika tried to ease the tension she felt in the air. She spoke with Sanda so knew that she wasn't as cold as she was portraying herself now. Currently, the only thing they could agree on was the fact that they both cared for Takeru. "We shouldn't panic until Takeru wake up and tell us why your father is coming. Maybe he still doesn't know about Kyouya or this hotel!"

"Best case scenario, you're right." Kyouya nodded and she thought she was able to dissolve the situation until Kyouya continued bleakly. "Or it could be the worst case scenario and he's here because he knows I'm going to the gate and he's trying to stop me. Waiting here won't help so I'll take Takeru somewhere safe when he wakes up."

"I need to warn Kyouya and San-chan!" They all jumped when Takeru suddenly sat up. He was still a little disorientated and it took a moment for him to gather his thoughts. When he remembered the danger coming towards them, he stared to ramble and Erika couldn't understand his explanation.

"Slow down, idiot." Kyouya snapped when he knew he wouldn't get any reliable information from him since he was frantic. "We can't understand what you're saying when you're saying it so quickly. What's this about my father?"

"He suddenly came back to the castle and I thought that it was strange since he never comes back this early! So I listened in on his meeting with some of the knights and he told them that he was heading to the gate. I needed to warn you but I didn't have a way until I remembered Sanda's spell that guided people to her hotel. Then I tried to get here as fast as possible to tell you about your father."

Kyouya sighed since Takeru continued to smile widely despite the scratches and bruises on his face. The man might be strong but it was most likely his determination that allowed him travel so quickly. He had so many questions he wanted to ask his friend but Kyouya caught him flinching a moment and clutching his side. Kyouya placed his hand on his shoulder and forced him to lie down. "Rest."

"But your father's going to be here any moment now and you'll need my help to fight. He doesn't know about this hotel but someone like him will be able to find us. When I was listening to their conversation, he heard him saying something about going after you and this light." Erika stiffened at Takeru's words. Seeing her fear, Takeru was about to comfort her but Kyouya was first. He placed his hand over leg.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you and I'm not going to let my father stop me from kicking down that damn gate. Even if you left before my father did, it's only a matter of time before my father comes here and it won't take him long to see through the curse you have hiding this place." Kyouya stood and looked out the window for a sign of his father.

"Erika, I want to talk to Takeru alone. Can you leave us alone?" Kyouya knew that there were things he couldn't discuss in front of Erika or Sanda. She looked conflicted for a moment but she seemed to understand so she nodded. Sanda looked much more conflicted to leave even though Erika was trying to pull her out of the room.

Sanda's brows furrowed as she looked between the three and tried to think of the best way to protect the demons in her hotel. They were wrongly prosecuted and she knew they would face their cruel sentences if the king found them. She needed to think of a way to protect them. It frustrated her that someone she trusted brought the prince to her hotel.

"We're just going to talk. You can trust Kyouya." Takeru told her before Kyouya could address her. "I won't break my promise to you, San-chan."

She bit her lower lip but left the room. The way she slammed the door told Kyouya that she was still reluctant to trust them alone and he couldn't blame her. But he was glad that she seem to trust Takeru enough to leave them be for the moment. He made sure that she wasn't listening near the door before sitting next to his friend. "Erika healed you but are you feeling any pain."

"What kind of man would I be if I couldn't handle a journey like that?" Takeru laughed and Kyouya simple gestured to the gauze binding his wound. They had been friends for years so there was little they could hide from each other. "Anyway, I had the curse San-chan showed me that allowed me to see the path to the hotel. The only really tricky thing was climbing out of that cavern."

"Of course would use brute strength when trying to get pass that curse." Kyouya chuckled to himself. He became serious when he reminded himself that they needed to decide what to do when his father arrived. "How many men did my father take? He doesn't have the obstacle of the curses so it's only a matter of time before he finds us."

"What are you planning? You always have something planned. Whatever you want me to do to help, I'll do it!" Takeru told him and Kyouya wondered how he could have faith in him having a plan.

"I'm going to the gate to open it. You are going to ride Midnight and go somewhere safe. My father probably doesn't know that you're here so you don't have to involve yourself any more than you already have. I'll protect Erika." Kyouya said but he didn't know what he would do if his father found him and Erika before or after he reached the gate.

"What about San-chan and the demons in this hotel?" Takeru asked.

"What about this hotel you kept a secret from me?" Kyouya bit at the words. "From the amount of demons gathered here, I know you've been keeping this from me for a long time. You would be prosecuted if my father finds out! How did that woman convince you to do something so risky? Why didn't you discuss this with me before you got yourself into this mess?"

"I found her crying in that cell all alone." Takeru knew that Kyouya was angry but had to defend Sanda. "She was going to hang for stealing even though she didn't. What kind of man would I be if I let an innocent person die? She was scared so I promised to help her escape. I didn't know where she went but I thought I would never meet her again."

"But you did, obviously." Kyouya noted and Takeru nodded.

"She heard that another demon was the situation she was and she wanted to save him. She asked me for help and I couldn't say no. I wanted to tell you since I knew you aren't like your father but she didn't trust anyone in the royal family so she made me promise not to. You're my best friend and it was hard to keep a secret from you. What are you going to do with this hotel now?"

"This would've been easier if you told me earlier and I could've force the court to release them but it's impressive that someone like you could save so many. We can't have my father finding this hotel and making your effort useless so I'll do what I can for them." Kyouya assured him. "Rest cause I'm not going to leave my horse with an injured man that can barely fight."

"I might be a little beat up but I can still fight." Takeru gestured and Kyouya laughed in return.

* * *

"They've been in there while. I should go and check up to them to make sure that the prince hasn't hurt Takeru." Sanda started to leave but Erika stopped her by placing her hand on her arm. What confused her was the fact that Erika appeared to be completely calm and was laughing slightly. She was truly worried yet this woman didn't seem to feel the same.

"I doubt that Kyouya could be angry enough at Takeru to actually hurt him. He knows that they're best friends and wouldn't do anything to hurt each other on purpose." Erika told her. "Takeru must be important to you if you're so worried about him but there's nothing to be worried about. Both Takeru and I trust Kyouya so you can too."

"How can you trust the Dark Prince so easily? He's known to lie and take advantage of people and he can be doing that at this moment. How do you know that he wasn't the one that led his father here to find this hotel?" Sanda demanded.

"Because he looked truly hurt that his friend hid this from him." Erika looked beyond the door and could still see the sad expression on Kyouya's face. Seeing that simple emotion on his face reminded her that Kyouya wasn't as cold as she thought. "Kyouya won't risk everything he has been working for or put his friend in danger by bringing his father here."

"I wish I could be as ignorant as you." Sanda spoke softly.

"How can you say that I am ignorant of who Kyouya is when I have travelled so far with him while you had only heard stories about Kyouya? I heard those stories and I believed in them too but Kyouya isn't like that. Sure he isn't a saint but he's kind and honest even when he tried to hide it." Erika stopped when she realized that she was raising her voice and blushed.

"Erika, do you love the Dark Prince?" Sanda started but stopped. Erika didn't know how to respond to her for a moment. She had never been in love before and didn't know more about the emotion than what her mother told her in fairy tales. Her journey with Kyouya was far from a fairy tale but when she placed her hand over her heart, she found that it was racing.

Did she love Kyouya? When she thought of Takeru and other men she considered her friends, her heart didn't react to them as it did with Kyouya. She trusted him to protect her but did she trust him enough to love him. Erika shook herself but she couldn't stop thinking about Kyouya when Sanda placed that question in her mind. "Kyouya and I are just friends!"

Erika tried to stress the words but it didn't sound right to her. Did he consider her a friend or something else? He tried to use her to open the gate when they first met but now she trusted that he wouldn't hurt her. Whenever she envisioned him in her mind, she didn't see the Dark Prince but Kyouya with his smirk. That smirk should've irritated her but it made her heart beat faster instead.

"We're friends like you and Takeru are!" Erika quickly tried to redirect the topic to Sanda to take her mind off Kyouya and the feelings she felt towards him. A part of her didn't know if she wanted to stay ignorant to what she felt towards him or not. "We want to help each other even if the way we met was… we're not enemies at least."

"The next time you speak to Kyouya, place your hand over your heart and just imagine where you want to be ten years from now." Sanda told her and Erika asked her why, she answered simple. "You'll know if you love him."

* * *

Erika stood outside the room, debating with herself. Should she go in and check on Kyouya when she was still conflicted over how she felt towards him? She stood motionless until the door opened and jumped back into awareness. Kyouya stood in the doorframe, looking down at her with his brow raised. He closed the door behind him and waited for her to speak.

Her heart started to race again and she remembered Sanda's advice. Even though she didn't know how her advice would tell her if she loved him, she placed her hand over her heart and tried to envision where she wanted to be in ten years. At the same time, he chuckled and placed his hand on her head. "What are you doing staring into space? You look like a lost puppy."

The hand he placed on her head answered her rather than her hand over her heart. It was easy for her to imagine being with him with his strong hand comforting her. His promise to protect her and offering her family refuge in his castle could be a lie but she realized that she wanted deeply for it to be true. Not only would it protect her family but she wanted to stay by his side.

She loved him.

"Get your head out of the clouds." He pinched her cheeks and stretched them. It always amused him that her face was so expressive but it worried him that she looked so confused when she was staring up at him. He told himself that he didn't have time to worry what she thought of him since there were other matters he needed to address. "I need you to focus."

The simple phase 'I need you' made her blush but hearing him finish the simple statement reminded her that she still didn't know how he felt towards her. He gently tapped her forehead again and went on. "Takeru's in no condition to fight but he's determined to keep this place safe. I'm not going to let him put himself in danger for a bunch of criminals so we need to find a way get everyone to safety."

"Can't you just say that you want to help your best friend?" Erika's question was spoken with a tinge of laughter because she was reminded of the kind of person she fell with. She might not know how he felt towards her but she wanted to stay with him until he rejected her. Gently, she took his hand. "I'll do anything I can to help you and these people!"

"I already knew you would say that. Seriously, you're too kind for your own good." The hallway wasn't the best place to speak so he led her away to the end of the hallway that looked deserted. "Look, even if you want to help them, I want you to think of your own safety. I need you to be strong when we go and open the gate."

Erika gave him a soft spoken acknowledgement since she could barely get the words past a lump that was forming in her throat. Was he only using her to open the gate? Even if he was, she wanted to stay by his side on the chance that he did care for her. "You don't need to worry about me! As long as I have this locket, I have the power to do anything. What do you have planned?"

"I'm going to be relying on you." Kyouya told her and briefly explained the plan.

* * *

"If you want to leave, this is your opportunity to do so." Kyouya told her as he saddled Midnight and prepared to leave. They both knew that they shoulder the most consequences if his plan failed. "You can just give me your locket and I'll open the gate with that before your light fades and my offer to protect your family once this is over still stands."

He didn't know if he should be surprised that she shook her head in response. Weather it was because of her good nature or because she didn't trust him to keep his word, he was glad that she wasn't going to leave him. Anyone else in her position would've done so long before now but she gave him that genuine smile. "You need me to make this plan work."

He couldn't understand why she stayed by his side when he only continued to put her in danger. Slowly over their journey, he felt as if something had changed but he didn't know if it was her, him or the strange relationship they had. Kyouya told himself that it was better not to concern himself with her and return his focus to Midnight.

He took the reins and handed them to Takeru. "You do anything to my horse and I won't forgive you. So I expect both of you to be safe when I get back to the safe house."

"Thank you for doing this for me and helping these demons." Takeru knew not to be provoked by Kyouya's attitude and took the reins instead. No matter if Kyouya was pretending to be a kind prince or a cruel one, Takeru knew who he truly was. "And I expect you to come back safe too."

"You actually giving me orders?" Kyouya chuckled to himself and Sanda watched the pair's exchange in confusion. It seemed so natural for them to speak such despite the danger approaching them. She hadn't expected the Dark Prince to speak so familiarly to a mere knight. "You better get going before my father arrives. Just follow the plan and hopefully everyone stays alive."

"Everyone _will_ stay alive." Erika corrected him. Kyouya watched his friend leave until he was left alone with Erika. He hoped that the path Sanda created with her curse would allow them to escape his father's detection. He didn't want his friend's life to depend solely on someone else's power so went to set his own plan into motion.

He placed his arm around Erika's shoulder and pulled her closer to him so he could protect her from his curse. He didn't know where his father was but he knew that he would be able to sense a powerful curse. Summoning his power, he focused it on the hotel and the curse that kept it hidden. Kyouya tighten his hold on Erika before he released his power, shattering the curse protecting it.

Erika felt the forest shake around them and the trees trembled in reaction to his power. Even though his curse was powerful, the fact that it was being cast by someone she trusted stopped her from being afraid. The trees blocking the main path fell away and black flames engulfed the hotel.

There wasn't a chance his father wouldn't investigate such a powerful curse and it would divert his father attention from find Takeru. The powerful spell made Kyouya stagger since it drained him of most of his power. He started to fall to his knees but Erika caught him. "I've got you!"

"Hurry, before my father finds us." Kyouya urged her and she nodded. She wrapped her arms around Kyouya and spread her wings. She didn't know if she would be able carry Kyouya but she was determined to keep him safe. They both knew that he was too weak to fight and she had to put as much distance between them and the hotel as possible.

With a powerful flap, she took to the sky. Her feet barely left the ground before she saw a shadow appear in front of her and a force knocked her to the ground. Kyouya turned in the air and protected her from the fall. He swore when he looked up and faced his father.

"I thought I told you never to come back here, son."

* * *

 **I can't believe this is almost finished. But then again these chapters are taking a long time to make because of all the schoolwork I have pilling up.**


	7. My Sun

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters**

* * *

"I thought I told you never to try to travel to the gate again. Then again, you never listened to me like you should have. It was only a matter of time before I found you but I have to thank you for showing me your location. It's time to go home, son. But first there's something I need to take care of."

Erika gulped when she felt something rest on her shoulder. The king placed the flat edge of his sword on her shoulder and slowly moved it towards her neck. She felt its tip against her neck but he didn't kill her immediately like she thought he would. There was something cold in his eyes that stopped her from moving as he pressed the sword against her skin only enough to draw a little blood.

"I let you live before because my son protected you. I thought he loved you but it seems that you're only a tool to open the gate to him. I won't allow that gate to be open but I'll let you live long enough to tell me how you came to the Demon Realm and what your lord has planned." Erika bit her lower lip in fear but the king took it as a sign of defiance. "Speak or die!"

"I won't allow you to kill her." Kyouya glared at his father as he gripped his sword. He pushed it away from Erika's neck and she looked at him worried when saw that his grip was strong enough to draw blood. Testing his resolve, the king turned the sword in Kyouya's hand. He winced in pain but he didn't let go of the sword. "I'm sick of this darkness. I want to see that sun again."

"You don't know anything!" His father yelled and Kyouya let go of the sword before it could take off his fingers. He had only seen his father angry on a few occasions but there was no mistaking the hatred in his father's red eyes. There was no doubt that he would kill her without hesitation but he could barely summon the strength to protect her.

His father knew that neither had the strength to fight him either so withdraw his sword. There was no point in him wasting his breath when they had no choice but to obey him. No matter how stubborn and determine Kyouya was, he wasn't stupid enough to go against him. "Step away from her, Kyouya. I'll deal with you after I'm finished with her."

Erika felt ice run through her at the thought. She didn't know how any father could hurt his own son but under the king's icy gaze, she believed he would. Fear made her stomach heavy but she forced herself to move between Kyouya and his father. He tried to stop her but she stood stubbornly in front of him. Her body shook but her eyes didn't. "I won't let you hurt him."

"Are you an idiot?" Kyouya screamed while his father laughed. There was something bitter in his eyes as he laughed though. They knew that she couldn't fly away since the king would only use his power to stop them again. Erika herself didn't know how she could defeat the king but her mind raced thinking of a way. They were so close to the gate and she didn't want their journey to end in such a way.

"I'll tell you what you want but please don't hurt Kyouya!" Erika relented. She knew that the most she could do for now was buy them as much time as she could. He sighed and reluctantly agreed. She stepped back from him when the king reached out to take her arm. "I'm not leaving Kyouya's side to make sure you keep your promise!"

The king obviously thought he secured their cooperation so ordered his knights to leave him alone with his son. Kyouya watched them leave, waiting for an opportunity to attack his father. Even without the knights, he knew that it would be difficult. He knew his father would only keep his promise until he had no use for her anymore.

"Let me see your hand, Kyouya." Erika took his hand gently and healed the cut his father caused. Guilt settled in her stomach and the only thing that eased her conscious was the knowledge that she would save him. Her hands held his firmly but the warmth that healed him reminded him of her stubborn kindness. Even when she was in danger, she only thought of him.

His father snorted at the sight of them and she threw back a glare at him. "I'm healing him! Kyouya's your son so why do you treat him like this?"

Kyouya pulled Erika into his protective hold when his father would've strike her. He didn't know why she was able to face his father when many would be scared. Erika had been scared herself but now she was determined to save Kyouya so she couldn't allow herself to become afraid. She looked over her shoulder to see that the king wasn't paying them much attention.

"Kyouya, how quickly can you perform the spell to open the gate?" She asked him quietly but couldn't hear her own voice over her beating heart. She was afraid that his father would overhear them so tried to keep her voice low. "If I teleport us to the gate and you do the spell right away, will you be able to open the gate before your father can stop us?"

"I should be able to create a key quick enough but I'll be cutting it close. I don't know what will happen once the gates are opened so I can't promise that I'll be able protect you when my father catches us." Kyouya told her honestly but she still smiled with relief at his words. That smile vanished when she looked back to his father before leaning closer to him and whispering.

"I don't have enough magic to use a teleportation spell unless I use the rest of the magic in my locket. So when you perform the spell, you need to use my magic to create the key." She quickly covered his mouth when he would've argued. "I want you to open that gate and keep your promise to protect my family. Then everyone I care about will be safe and happy."

"That's the most stupid, self sacrificing plan I've ever heard. I'll think of a way out of this but I don't want you to tell my father anything. He'll kill you once he has the information he wants." Kyouya shook her since he knew that she was stupid enough to go through with the plan. He didn't know if he would be able to save them but anything would be better than her death.

She didn't look convinced and he could understand why she thought her plan was the best solution since there didn't seem to be another way to escape his father. Even though his father was allowing her to heal him, he didn't know how long they would be able to speak privately. "You do understand that if I use you to make the key, you'll die."

Erika nodded somberly. No matter how kind she was, he couldn't understand why she was willing to sacrifice so much for the Dark Prince and her parents. Even after his hand was healed, she kept her hands around his and he could feel them shake. He could tell that she wanted to say something more and he hoped that she would change her mind.

"I don't know what you think of me and I don't fully understand what I feel for you but I don't want to see you hurt. I _know_ your father will hurt you if we go along with him. If we open the gate, you'll at least have the sun that you love." Erika told him in a soft voice. "This was your plan from the beginning so why are you hesitating now?"

"Because you're important to me now! I'm not going to throw away your life and you're not a tool to me." Kyouya found himself telling her before he realized he had spoken the words. The words poured from his heart and frustration that she was willing to do something so foolish for him. Her eyes widened and he froze as well.

"So you were telling the truth when you said that you love her. You're as foolish as your mother." The King heard Kyouya and didn't know if he should laugh or not. No matter what information the angel had, he couldn't allow her to influence Kyouya more than she already had. "An angel doesn't belong in our world, Kyouya, so let's get this over with."

Before the king reached for his sword, Erika reacted. Thinking that he was going to hurt Kyouya, she wrapped her arms around Kyouya's waist and cast the spell. The forest rushed around them. She knew that the gate wasn't far but using the spell beyond her capabilities made her disorientated. Even though her eyes were closed, she could recognize a bright behind them when they stopped.

"Erika! I said that I'll think of a plan so why did you cast the spell?" She only opened her eyes when she heard Kyouya call her name. He looked angry but worried at the same time. She buried her face into his chest to hide from his anger. She didn't want him to make her regret her decision so tried to convince him that it was for the best.

"It's done. Just create the key and be happy. We don't have much time before your father finds us again." She took his hand and forced herself to look into his eyes. "When our worlds merge, please be the Dark Prince I came to know- a man that's kind yet stern and does what's best for his people. I'm sure that no matter what happened, you'll be a good king."

"I don't want to be the king. I just wanted to see sun."

"You'll definitely have the support of your people so you'll become the king. So don't forget your promise to help my parents." Erika went on as if he hadn't spoken. "With you as king and the sun back, I'm sure everyone will be happy. I don't know what will happen with my lord but I'm sure you'll think of a something."

She touched her now useless locket and placed it in his hands. "I'm glad that I went on this journey with you. So please use the spell so I know this entire journey wasn't useless. I can't live in the Demon Realm without the magic in the locket and it's gone now. Your father is coming so this could be your last chance to open the gate!"

He wished that she hadn't been so impulsive and cast the teleportation spell since now he was forced to make a decision. But she had done so to protect him. In the past he would've given anything to see the sun again but her light became as important to him as that of the sun and he couldn't kill her.

No matter what he decided to do she would die, either by his hand or by the darkness of his world.

"I'm sorry Erika." He gathered her in his arms. Kyouya knew that she would be angry with his decision. He buried his face into her hair and breathed deeply to gather enough courage. He held her at arm's length and looked into her eyes. "Can I see your wings one last time?"

Erika nodded even though she knew that its light would draw the king's attention. She found that couldn't say no to him when he looked so sad. She revealed her wings and wrapped them around Kyouya when he came closer to her. He leaned his forehead against hers and began to cast a curse. To her surprise, she didn't feel any pain but her wings did begin to burn.

"I'm sorry Erika." He said again and brushed his lips against her forehead for the briefest moment. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him in shock. A small ball of light grew in his hand as her wings began to wither further. He kept her in his arms as he moved toward the gate. She closed her eyes and she was glad that her end wasn't painful.

He placed both of his hands against the gate, caging her between his arms. Against her back, she felt the gate shake and begin to crumble. Kyouya closed his eyes against the light beginning to pour through the gate. He knew the curse by hurt from countless times he practices but each word pained him now. She must've sensed his pain for she placed her hand on his cheek and that strengthened his resolve.

Kyouya opened his eyes and stared down at her feathers littering the ground around them. The gate opened enough for a person to fit through and he placed his hands on her shoulder. Refusing to look into her eyes, he pushed her through. Erika stumbled but the clouds softened her fall. One last time, he apologized. "I'm sorry but I won't let you do that for me."

"Wait, Kyouya!" Erika rushed to the gate that was slowly closing. She couldn't run back into the Demon Realm but she could reach out her hands to Kyouya. The sunlight that slipped past the opening allowed her to see the tears that Kyouya refused to shed. She couldn't understand what was happening but her first instinct was to brush the tears from his face.

Kyouya didn't know how much longer he could feel her hand before the gate closed completely so allowed himself to press his face against her palm. "You belong with the sun, Erika. My father won't be able to hurt you now."

"Then come with me! We can hide in the Angel Realm together. I don't have much power here but I'm sure we can-" Erika began to argue but she knew that a demon couldn't survive in the Angel Realm similar to how angels couldn't live in the Demon Realm. "I don't want to leave you like this. You made a promise and you can't break it."

"I promise to give your parents protection from your lord and I will. My… my mother lives in the Angel Realm and she should be able to protect you. Tell her that even a part of her still considers a demon like me her son, she'll protect the woman I love." Kyouya's words were bitter and her heart broke. At the same time, her heart began to race.

"How can you tell me you love me now?" She demanded.

"I doubt you'll return my feelings since I destroyed your wings." He reached past her to where her wings should've been and she finally realized that she couldn't feel her wings anymore. "I used the light in your wings to open the gate. They only had enough magic to open it temporarily. You won't be able to fly now but at least you'll be able to live."

"But-" She began to argue but he stopped her with a simple kiss. Ignoring any other argument she would've made, he stepped away from the gate. Once again, he watched the gate closed and smother out the light that he loved. His eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly and he stared up at the gate, wondering if he would ever have another chance to open it.

* * *

Erika called out to Kyouya as she slammed her fist against the gate until her throat became raw. Even when she felt hopeless and crumbled onto the clouds, she leaned her forehead against the gate, trying to think of a way to open it.

 _Find my mother_ , his instruction echoed in her mind but she couldn't bring herself to leave the spot in front of the gate. Emotions made her chest tight and she knew that it wouldn't lessen until she could see Kyouya again. She loved him but never considered that they would ever be apart even if he didn't return her feelings. He made a promise after all.

But he did return her feelings and broke the promise.

"I'm not going to give up." She vowed to herself and took a deep breath to calm herself. While she couldn't see past the gate, she knew that Kyouya would be confronting his father. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he would be punished by his father for trying to open the gate. "I'm going to open this gate and protect you, Kyouya. I never got to tell you that I love you."

"How does an angel like you know who Kyouya is?" A voice asked her and Erika looked over her shoulder to see a woman watching her cautiously. She wondered how long the older woman had watched her but the phasing of her question caught Erika's attention.

"Because I fell in love with him." Erika explained quickly, hoping that the woman was who she hoped she was. "Please help me open the gate so I can see him again."

* * *

Kyouya stared out the window of his cabin as he ate alone. It was a chore he did to survive since he could barely taste his food. Like many other nights, he found himself alone but he didn't feel like entertaining company. After being able to be himself with Erika, he couldn't bring himself to pretend to be the kind prince naturally any more.

He took the locket she had given and wondered how she was getting by without her wings. At least she was safe from his father who would've killed her. His own father had strike him when he returned from the gate but that was a week ago.

In that time, he busied himself with his duties as a prince and saw to the well being of his people. He knew that his father wouldn't do so and Erika expected it of him. Neither was his true reason since he wanted to keep his mind from thinking of Erika. But keeping her from his mind during the lonely nights was much more difficult.

God, he missed her.

Someone knocked on his door and he sighed, wondering who would visit him at such an early hour. Takeru was busy helping Sanda with the cases of the falsely convicted demons so it couldn't be him. He promised his father he wouldn't return to the gate again if he allowed the demons from the hotel to be under his protection.

"I'm opening the door so stop knocking already!" Kyouya pushed himself away from the table and made his way to the door. He threw it open and he expected to confront his father who would be the only other person he could think of that would visit him. So he was surprised when he found a woman standing on the other side of the door. His surprise was reflected on hers.

"Kyouya?" She started hesitantly and Kyouya stared at her with distrust since he didn't recognize. She stumbled over words but someone else spoke over her.

"Respect your mother, Kyouya." Kyouya's back straightened when his father walked to her side. They looked at each other with tired eyes before entering his cabin. Since Kyouya couldn't bring himself to move, his mother closed the door for him and his father pushed him into a chair. "Get that stupid look off your face and listen to what we have to say."

"Why should I listen to anything the two of you have to say? You left me when I was a kid." He threw his mother an accusing look and gave another one to his father. "And you took away the only thing I ever loved. The only reason I haven't left is because I can't leave these people in your care."

"If you really believe that you can be a better king than me, why don't you give it a try?" Kyouya didn't know if his father was mocking him or not. "I'm getting tired and older but I couldn't hand over the entire Demon Realm to you. Your mother doesn't share the same opinion as me though. She's of the opinion we open the gates and have you rule over both of the world."

"I think it's a lot of responsibility for you since you're still young but she insisted that you're the only person who can rule both the Demon Realm and the Angel Realm." His mother sighed.

"Erika?" Kyouya could easily guess who his mother was referring to. He didn't wait before asking her, "How is she? Without her wings… Is she adapting well?"

His mother smiled as she watched her son pull himself back with a blush. "She kept begging me to open the gate. It's obvious that she loves you so don't break her heart and try to understand her feelings. She convinced me to speak to your father about making our two world one again. Erika has also been speaking with the other angels."

"She'll never convince the lord though." Kyouya didn't know why she was trying so hard for him when advocating for a demon would only make her an outcast. "I know Erika can be persistent but why did you go along with her?"

"Knowing your mother, she did it because she felt guilty for abandoning you." His father answered for her. It was strange hearing him speak so casually when there was a tension in the air. "Angels and their martyr complex are unpredictable. She probably also fancied herself with the idea of you and that little angel of yours."

"She does love Kyouya-"

"And I loved you but that didn't do us any good. It's just too difficult for angels and demons to be together. Your father knew it too and that's why we created the gate to begin with. If anyone knew the truth about us, Kyouya life would've been in danger." For the first time in Kyouya's life, he thought his father looked regretful. "What's done is done."

"I'll talk to my father! Kyouya has the blood of an angel too so he has a right to the Angel Realm. I won't let Kyouya give up on love like we did." His mother argued and Kyouya ignored them as he looked out the window. It should've been a shock that his mother was an angel but a part of him had always known.

"Will you two shut up?" Kyouya didn't care if he was being disrespectful since it was obvious his parents weren't going to come to an agreement. No matter how much he argued with Erika, it wasn't a useless cycle like theirs was. "I'm going to the heaven."

* * *

"The Dark Prince saved me from the wolves with nothing but his bare hands." Erika told her story to the children who listened to her intently. While their parents wouldn't approve of her telling them about Kyouya, she wanted them to know the truth about Kyouya. But with the protection of Kyouya's mother, they didn't harass her.

"I'll tell more later but now it's time for you to go home." She urged the children home when she realized how late it had gotten. She had become so accustomed to the moon telling her when it was night so she found herself losing track of time more than usual. Thinking of the moon, made her miss Kyouya and she walked to the gate.

Staring up at the tall bars, she imagined the Demon Realm beyond the gate. Was Kyouya safe? His mother had left to speak with his father and she wished she could've gone to. The only comfort she had was that she could busy herself with trying to convince her lord that Kyouya would be a great ruler.

Tired, she sat with her back against the gate. Erika wondered if everything she was doing was pointless. Maybe he had already forgotten about her. She pulled her legs to her chest and pressed her forehead to her knees. With the gate at her back, she felt as if she was a million miles away from him.

Suddenly, she couldn't feel the gate on her back anymore. A warm hand gently patted her and she looked up to see Kyouya standing over her. "Of course I'll find you waiting here for me like an actual Cerberus."

"Kyouya!" She rushed to her feet and threw her arms around him. He caught her easily and let her cry against his shoulder so he could feel her body against his again. Neither of them could understand the words that fell from her lips. "How were you able to open the gate? How are you here? God, I don't care because I'm not letting you go now."

"You sure are a needy person." Kyouya laughed since he realized that he actually missed her numerous quirks. He lifted her face so he could look into her eyes. Brushing the tears from her face, he explained. "I just met my grandfather that I never knew I had after I watched my parents argue like angst filled teenagers. It was a miracle I got anything productive done."

Erika chuckled since his condescending tone hadn't changed. She didn't comment so he could continue his explanation. "I spoke with the lord to convince him to open the gate. He called me as idealistic as my mother but I told him that I wouldn't give up until angels and demons could walk together as equal. I wouldn't give up until I was able to see the angel I love again."

"And he actually let us be together?" Erika asked hopefully.

"I didn't give him a choice. It was either we work together or I destroy the gate. Thankfully he was able to see logic and we agreed on an arrangement. The forest in front of the gate will become a capital between the Demon Realm and Angel Realm where angels and demons can live together. If demons and angels can be together peacefully, he'll destroy the gate."

"That's great, Kyouya!" Erika congratulated him. "I'll do whatever I can to help. I know a couple of families that might agree to live there. Isn't this great, Kyouya. You'll be able to have the sun now."

"I haven't even asked you to be with me yet you're already saying yes." Kyouya laughed and brought her hands to his lips. "I love you, Erika. You're my sun now and I'm not going to let you go ever again. A relationship between a demon and an angel will be difficult but if you promise to spend the rest of your life with me, I won't let you regret it."

Without a word, Erika embraced Kyouya. She had thought that she would never meet him again yet here he was promising her forever. Her Dark Prince.

* * *

 **This was supposed to be eight chapters but I lost inspiration to write this so I squeezed two chapters into one XD But I do have another concept planned for OSTKO**


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